HN 79 
.K4 fi5 
1919 
Copy 1 



HN 79 
.K4 A5 
1919 
Copy 1 



State Conference 
On Kentucky Problems 



HELD AT 






,7* 



University of Kentucky, Lexington 
March 4-5, 1919 



Program and Addresses 



Kentucky Council of Defense 



State Conference 
On Kentucky Problems 



HELD AT 



University of Kentucky, Lexington 
March 4-5, 1919 



Program and Addresses 



Kentucky Council of Defense 

ii 



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THH BTATEJ JOURNAL. COMPANY 

Printer to the Commonwealth 

Frankfort, Kentucky. 



AUG 



* 1919 






TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page 
Program of State Conference 5 

Statement of Purpose of Conference 8 

Addresses: 

Dr. Frank L. McVey: Some of the Problems Before the 

State Conference 9 

Arthur W. Macmahon: National Problems and Commun- 
ity Organization 16 

Miss Charl O. Williams: The Rural School and what To Do 

With It 20 

Prof. J. Virgil Chapman: The Rural School and what To Do 

With It 28 

Dr. Archibald Dixon: Care of Defectives 36 

Professor George Baker: Educational Bills in Congress 46 

James E. Rogers: Community Organization 51 

Dr. Henry E. Jackson: The Practice of Citizenship 58 

Professor R. P. Green: Elimination of Illiteracy by Com- 
munity Effort 65 

Miss V. Lota Lorimer: Public Health Program of Ameri- 
can Red Cross 71 

Dr. Arthur T. McCormack: The Kentucky Health Problem.... 75 

Mrs. Helm Bruce: Woman's Committee.!! :..: 90 

E. W. Burr: The Soldier on the Land : 95 

Rodman Wiley: Good Roads..... 101 

Charles F. Huhlein: Commercial Organizations 106 

Miss Elizabeth Breckinridge: The School as an Element of 

Community Organization 109 

Professor C. S. Gardner: The Church as a Factor in 

Community Life 114 

Persons Registered in Attendance 116 



PROGRAM 



STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 

This conference is called by the Kentucky Council of Defense to 
consider various matters arising out of the War and Kentucky's rela- 
tion to them. No program can include all phases of the many prob- 
lems confronting any commonwealth. Some of them, however, have 
been selected for discussion and arranged for presentation by able 
speakers. 

It is expected that those who were associated with the Council 
of Defense as well as those connected with any phase of war work 
will attend. In addition there should be many others who would be 
interested in the program. To all these a welcome is extended and 
an urgent invitation given to be present. 

For information regarding program address Kentucky Council 
of Defense, Inter-Southern Building, Louisville, Ky. For details con- 
cerning local arrangements address Dr. Frank L. McVey, President 
of University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. 



I 

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 10 A. M. 

Assembly Hall, Administration Building. 

The General Problem. 

1. Call to order by Edward W. Hines. 

2. Community Singing, led by Professor Lampert. 

3. Statement of Purpose of Conference, 

Edward W. Hines, Chairman of the Kentucky 
Council of Defense. 

4. The General Situation, 

(a) Some of the Problems, 

Frank L. McVey, President of University of Kentucky. 

(b) National Problems After the War, 

Arthur W. Macmahon, Asst. Chief of Federal Agencies Section, 
Council of National Defense. 

5. Discussion. 

6. The Soldier on the Land, 

Prof. Ellwood Mead, University of California and Adviser to 
Department of Interior (E. W. Burr, District Counsel, 
United States Reclamation Service, Denver, Colorado, took 
the place of Professor Mead, who was prevented by official 
duties in Washington from attending the Conference.) 



II 

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2:00 P. M. 

Assembly Hall, Administration Building. 

Some Educational Problems. 

Hon. V. O. Gilbert, State Superintendent of Public Instructions, 

Presiding. 

1. Community Singing. 

2. The Rural School and What to Do With It, 

Miss Charl O. Williams, County School Superintendent, 

Memphis, Tennessee. 
Prof. J. Virgil Chapman, Supervisor of Rural Schools. 

3. The Moonlight School, 

Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart, Chairman of the Kentucky 
Illiteracy Commission. (Hon. Edwin P. Morrow, Somer- 
set, Ky., took the place of Mrs. Stewart, who was pre- 
vented by illness from attending the Conference.) 

4. Care of Defectives, 

Dr. Archibald Dixon, Henderson, Kentucky. 

5. Educational Bills in Congress, 

Prof. George Baker, University of Kentucky. 

Ill 

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 8:00 P. M. 

Assembly Hall, Administration Building. 

Community Organisation. 

Hon. James D. Black, Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, Presiding. 

1. Community Singing. 

2. What is Community Organization? 

James E. Rogers, Field Secretary of War Camp 
Community Service, New York City. 

3. Examples of Community Organization, 

Dr. Henry E. Jackson, U. S. Bureau of Education. 

4. What the Food Administration did in Community Organization, 

Fred M. Sackett, Federal Food Administrator for Kentucky. 

5. Elimination of Illiteracy by Community Effort, 

Professor R. P. Green, Western Normal School, 
Bowling Green, Ky. 



IV 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 9:30 A. M. 

Assembly Hall, Administration Building. 

Community Organization (Continued). 

Hon. Mat S. Cohen, Commissioner of Agriculture, 

Labor and Statistics, Presiding. 

1. Community Singing. 

2. Rural Sanitation, 

Surgeon L. L. Lumsden, U. S. Public Health Service, 
Miss V. Lota Lorimer, Director of Lake Division, Red Cross 
Nursing. 

3. Discussion. 

4. The Kentucky Health Problems, 

Dr. Arthur T. McCormack, State Health Officer of Kentucky, 
Late Chief Health Officer of Panama Canal. 

5. Discussion. 

6. The Councils of Defense and Community Organization. 
Arthur W. Macmahon, Asst. Chief of Federal Agencies Section, 

Council of National Defense. 

Mrs. Helm Bruce, Chairman Kentucky Division, Woman's 

Committee, Council of National Defense: 



WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2:00 P. M. 

Assembly Hall, Administration Building. 

Community Organization (Continued) 

Dr. Frank L. McVey, President, University 

of Kentucky, Presiding. 

1. Community Singing. 

2. The Elements in Community Organization, 

(a) Good Roads, Rodman Wiley, State Commissioner of 

Highways. 

(b) Women's Clubs, Mrs. Lafon Riker, President, State 

Federation of Women's Clubs. 

(c) Commercial Organizations, Charles F. Huhlein, Louis- 

ville, Kentucky. 

(d) The School, Miss Elizabeth Breckinridge, Louisville 

Normal School. 

(e) The Church, Professor C. S. Gardner, Baptist Theological 

Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, 
(f^ The Choral Society and Community Singing, Dr. A. J. 

Gantvoort, Cincinnati College of Music, 
(g) Play and Recreation, James E. Rogers, Field Secretary, 

War Camp Community Service. 

3. Adjournment. 



TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1919. 

Morning Session. 

Edward W. Hikes, Chairman of Kentucky Council of Defense, 

Presiding. 

Statement by Chairman of purpose of Conference : 

This Conference was called by the Kentucky Council of Defense 
upon the suggestion of President McVey, who indicated that it would 
give the University of Kentucky great pleasure to act as host to such 
a conference. The Council of Defense was merely the instrument for 
calling the conference. Now that you are here the conference is yours. 

It seemed fitting that after the fighting in the Great War had 
ended in a military victory for America and her Allies, the patriotic 
men and women of Kentucky who at home had stood behind our 
fighting men and whose untiring work in so many forms had helped 
to make victory possible, should come together to take account of 
what remains to be done to make that victory effective and to make 
sure that our soldiers and sailors who have given their lives in the 
great struggle for democracy and justice shall not have died in vain. 
The Gre^t War has shown us many things in our American life which 
need to be changed if our democracy is to endure, and it has also 
shown us some of the instruments by which the needed changes may 
be wrought. 

Community organization and co-operation alone have made pos- 
sible the wonderful achievements of the various war agencies which 
have been such important factors in helping to win the war, and 
we must find the way to make effective that same spirit of community 
co-operation for the solution of our peace-time problems. 

During the war the men, women and children of Kentucky have 
been ready to make almost any sacrifice they were called upon to 
make for their country, and if we could have throughout this land 
of ours that same readiness to serve the public in times of peace, we 
would have an ideal democracy. And while that ideal state is not to 
be expected we must at least make an earnest effort to preserve for 
the solution of our peace-time problems as much as we can of that 
spirit of public service which has been developed by the war. 

We have asked you, therefore, to come here, that we may counsel 
together for the purpose of finding the way to keep alive that spirit 
of public service and to make effective for the solution of the prob- 
lems which now confront us that spirit of community co-operation 
which has been such an important factor in the success of the various 
war activities which have been carried on by our civilian army at 
home. 

It is for that reason we have given community organization such 
a large place in the program. But an abstract discussion of community 



organization would be of little value, and so we have given an oppor- 
tunity to consider the various elements of community organization 
and some of the Kentucky problems in the solution of which com- 
munity organization and community co-operation may be important 
factors. 

Education in the broadest sense is the foundation of every true 
democracy, and no democracy can long endure unless its citizens 
are prepared for the duties of citizenship. To make the world safe 
for democracy does not give assurance that democracy will exist 
throughout the world. It is a noble thing in some great crisis to die 
for democracy, but it is a more difficult thing to live for democracy. 
Men may differ as to what democracy means, but I do not think any 
intelligent man or woman will deny that if the people are to rule 
they should be taught the principles and obligations of citizenship. 
And so the chief aim and end of our educational system should be to 
teach not only our boys and girls, but our men and women, to be good 
citizens. And the foundation principle of good citizenship is a due 
regard for the rights of others. It has been said that democracy is 
the application of the golden rule to politics. 

We have the problem of capital and labor because the employer 
and the laborer each is so intent upon his own rights that he 
cannot see the rights of the other. The employer with a col- 
lege education who is not willing to give up something of what he 
deems to be his own rights for the public good may be even more unfit 
for the duties of citizenship than the uneducated laborer who is equally 
insistent upon what he deems to be his rights. Education in good 
citizenship, therefore, is our greatest need, and one of the things 
upon which we hope to get light from this conference is how com- 
munity organization and community co-operation may help to solve 
this problem. In all our discussions we must not forget that it is 
only by hard work and patience that the things which we are hoping 
and longing for can be accomplished. 



Address by Dr. Frank L. McVey, President of Kentucky 
University. 

Subject: "Some of the Problems Before the State Confer- 
ence. ' ' 

In looking backward over periods of history, men are able to mark, 
very definitely, certain epochs in the progress of mankind. Curiously 
enough, most of these are indicated by wars, largely due to the fact 
that the historian has given his time and effort to a study of the 
doings of princes, potentates and sovereigns rather than of the com- 
mon people. 



10 

So it is that we consider the year 490 B. C, when the Battle of 
Marathon took place, as one of the great epochs and events in the 
history of Europe. A little band of Greeks were able to keep the 
Persians out of Europe and to hold for that continent the Grecian 
civilization with all that it meant. More than 800 years afterward 
at Adrianople, 378 A. D., the Huns defeated the Greeks and were able 
to make their way into Southern Europe* Fortunately enough, how- 
ever, they were absorbed by the Southern European civilization and 
did not have the modifying effect that would have taken place if a 
more advanced people had won the contest. In Spain the Saracens 
had built up a considerable civilization. It was Moorish in character, 
and in their attempt to force the Francs into submission, they were 
defeated in 732 A. D., and once again Europe was saved for western 
civilization. Again, in 1066 the Normans won the Battle of Hastings, 
pressing upon England their mode of living, their architecture and 
customs. Then come other outstanding events such as the Magna 
Charta and periods like the Thirty Years' War, the Seventy Years' 
War, the American Revolution, the Napoleonic War, our own Civil 
War, the Franco-Prussian contest, and now last of all the Great War. 

It may be expected, however, that men will see in this last event 
something more than a contest of arms The periodical press is filled 
with discussions of the far-reaching consequences of this war. It is 
very clearly indicated that if out of it comes a great League of Nations, 
the contest will not have been in vain if there is even a possibility of 
a permanent peace. Men see in this change of view a great historical 
epoch. Many of them believe that a new church with a larger 
liberality of view, new energy of purpose and higher spiritual aim 
will be evolved. Others see visions of a wider democracy, in which 
education shall be adequate, effective and efficient. In fact, a new 
condition under which every citizen shall have larger opportunity, 
more leisure, and a higher viewpoint of life is bound to come to pass. 
Men are expecting that a better spirit will be brought into existence as 
a consequence of the many needs that have been shown by the agency 
of this war. The weathervane of opinion points to the need of better 
citizenship. 

Something more than an academic question is raised when it is 
asked whether these things are to be realized. It is true that we can 
fall back into the old rut, let the church go on as before, democracy 
blunder along as it has, and the government go about its business 
more or less ineffectively. But, if these things are possible, they are 
worth while trying to get, and the significance of this Conference 
lies in the fact that there is a feeling that these things can be 
brought to pass, if an earnest endeavor is made to get them. All 
of us are anxious to see Kentucky in the vanguard, and it is possible 
to place her there even with the handicaps under which she labors. 
If we can see the needs of the Commonwealth for the next quarter of 
a century there is thus set up a very definite task, and, on the 



11 

whole, one that can be met, and the necessary steps taken to bring 
the results. 

This Conference has been called for the purpose of discussing 
Kentucky problems. Perhaps it is desirable at the beginning to ask, 
"What is a problem?" Then find out the specific things that stand 
before us here in Kentucky. 

A problem is something to be solved; it is an attempt to relate 
cause and effect, and to determine how the two are associated and con- 
nected. In a general way these problems which face us in Kentucky 
concern individuals, the community, and the State. The individual 
is concerned, in so far as the conditions of the heredity of his children 
are affected, and in the environment in which he lives, and in which 
they in the future will have to live. The two things re-act on each 
other. When we turn to the community, we find a group of individuals 
acting more or less together in the every day conduct of life. The 
tendency has been for these units to act alone and to act selfishly. 
When a community has grasped what it can do when its members 
act together, it will have taken a long step toward the accomplishment 
of many things. The State occupies a much larger area and is affected 
by a broader sweep of economic, sanitary and moral factors than in 
the instance of the individual. In the conduct of commerce and 
trade, transportation of the products of industry, economic laws 
affect and modify the situation. There are besides these sanitary, 
economic and moral conditions, those which apply in the conduct of 
the state's business and its affairs. In the final analysis, however, 
all of them are educational in character. 

It is suggested above that these problems are of a general char- 
after. They, however, may be more specifically discussed, and, while 
it is not pbssible to deal with all of them, it is possible to present for 
casual consideration matters relating to education, public health, In- 
dustry, efficient government, and community organization. 

It is pretty generally considered that everywhere, and particularly 
in our own commonwealth, we need a better school system. It is 
gradually dawning upon the citizenship of this State that more atten- 
tion must be paid to education. We find that our children are handi- 
capped when they come into competition with children from other 
commonwealths, and that it is necessary to take hold of this matter 
not as a private question, but as a public one. There are in Ken- 
tucky about 500,000 children of school age, but to meet the needs of 
these children as they come on from the grades into the high schools 
there are but 250 high schools, public and private. Probably 2,200 sen- 
iors annually complete the high school course, and from this the 
State depends for its leadership. Instead of a number a little better 
than 2,000, there ought to be at least 7,000 to 8,000 seniors completing 
the high school course, and, in. so far as they fail to do so, the State 
is affected in its larger intelligence, better government, and in its at- 
tempt to secure necessary leadership for better things. 



12 

We have discovered too, that the program of the schools should 
he modified. Modern life requires accuracy of thought, and the re- 
sults that are now being obtained do not seem to secure the ends that 
are desired. More emphasis should be placed upon the sciences, and 
the application of the arts to practical things should be steadily main- 
tained in school courses. It is true that the Federal Government is 
attempting to do this in the new legislation that is being provided 
under the direction of the Federal Board for Vocational Education, 
but this is merely a start, and programs everywhere ought to take 
into effect the necessity of impressing upon students the accuracy 
of thought, so that when they are charged with the responsibility of 
carrying on the affairs of the commonwealth, they will do it in a 
clear-headed way instead of in a mushy and sentimental way. We 
know too, that the making of citizens is a great deal more difficult 
process than we supposed. The war brought to us more clearly the 
fact that a great many people living in Ameiica are not quite as good 
citizens as we supposed. Too many ol them had no knowledge of 
our government or of our history, and, consequently, went astray 
when problems of great importance arose. The schools probably have 
been as defective in this as in anything, and new emphasis should be 
placed upon the making of real citizens. 

In addition to these problems of education, there is still another 
that looms large in America. When the facts have been made known, 
it appears that the average school child does not attend school in the 
United States much beyond the sixth grade, and there are still 
others who are unable to read and write. Thus the percentage of 
illiteracy in this country is said to be 7.77 per cent, while in our own 
State it reaches the disturbing figure of 11 per cent. It makes no 
difference what the reasons are for this illitsracy, it nevertheless con- 
stitutes a dangerous thing. Such a condition makes possible appeals 
to a large part of the adult population through superstitution and 
ignorance because they can not inform themselves in other ways. 
Hence, one of the things which our commonwealth must face is the 
elimination of illiteracy, and every effort should be made to bring it 
about at an early date. This means better schools, better teachers, 
more money for the support of education and the insistence upon the 
enforcement of the compulsory educational law. 

The publication of the facts relating to the personnel of the army 
brought forth an amazing number of important matters. In the first 
place, it was found that a high proportion of the number of men 
called to the colors were physically unfit. The older the community, 
the larger the percentage, and for the whole country, it indicated 
that practically forty men out of every hundred could not qualify 
under the standards established by the War Department. Such short- 
comings in the physical qualities of the manhood of the country is 
rather alarming and must be corrected. We have gone on the sup- 



13 

position that the number of unfit would not be very large, but now we 
know that we must undertake the correction of this defect. 

It is also noted in the publications of the army that venereal 
diseases had reached an alarming percentage. For our own State the 
quota was 3.77 per cent. However, this was about the average of 
all the states. Still it is too high, and the War Department has 
clearly indicated that something can be done to check it by actually 
giving widespread information and instruction as to the dangers of 
the. situation. The removal of the saloons by national prohibition both 
in scope and purpose will materially affect this condition, and ought 
to help in the gradual removal of such diseases. But it cannot be 
done if we simply stand aside and allow the problem to remain an 
individual matter. It must become a public question, accepted by 
the State as such, and carried out with all the vigor which the com- 
monwealth could bring to bear upon such a problem. 

During the recent influenza epidemic it was discovered that we 
were by no means prepared for such a wide-sweeping disaster. All 
of us have read with interest and care the effect of the black death 
in the Fifteenth Century, but devastating as that was, it did not begin 
to carry off as many citizens as the recent influenza epidemic in the 
year of our Lord, 1918. The experience with this epidemic indicated 
that some very effective program for sanitation and better and more 
extended educational facilities for the enlarged training of nurses 
are necessary. The American Red Cross now has in mind the estab- 
lishment of a Home Service that will attempt to meet the situation 
in some degree, but the American Red Cross is unable to do this 
alone. It must have the co-operation of the State government, of 
the local governing bodies, and of the school. With all of these com- 
bined, it is possible to make provision for future difficulties and to 
set up a larger organization to take care of public health. But this 
is not sufficient. We must go further, and establish in our states 
adequate public health organizations, which shall establish adequate 
facilities for the care of disease. 

The basis of any commonwealth's development is, of course, its 
industry. Out of the ground, men must take wealth, and from nature 
they must find the materials and the means for supporting and main- 
taining life. The earliest of these industries associated with the soil 
is agriculture, and we have now reached a stage in the development 
of population where greater measures of conservation of the earth's 
surface must be undertaken. Agriculture has been pursued for thou- 
sands of years, but a new agriculture is now coming, which is capable 
of greater production. If we are to have an independent people within 
the borders of Kentucky, there must be constant renewal of the soil, 
and any type of agriculture, which tends to reduce its fertility, simply 
points to the fact that we are riding for a fall. Probably more prog- 
ress has been made in the field of agriculture than any other industry, 
but much remains to be done not only in securing better methods of 



14 

cultivation, but in marketing the product and in securing the dis- 
tribution of the wealth, which comes from nature, in an adequate 
and satisfactory manner. Our mining, lumbering, and oil industries 
need encouragement by the right kind of legislation. In legislation 
the State could hardly make grants in the form of money or exemption 
of taxation, but in better transportation facilities, better roads, in lower 
rates for the movement of freight, and in the finding of adequate and 
satisfactory markets. 

Beyond these important matters is another that calls for still 
greater emphasis. I have reference to the relation of capital and 
labor. 

In our system of society capital is derived from all ranks and is 
conducted in corporate form, while labor tends to be more and more 
organized as units for the purpose of securing its rights. Left alone, 
conflict between these two great factors is bound to arise, and, 
unless understanding between them is brought about, disaster is 
pretty sure to result. It is necessary that labor shall have acceptable 
conditions to work under and a livable wage — a wage that will give 
leisure and opportunity for better living. On the other hand capital 
must be assured of existence — an opportunity to work without inter- 
ruption. These are the conditions, and it is possible to work out a 
cooperative relationship between the two that wlil remove many of 
the difficulties that now exist. One of the great problems before a 
conference of this kind as well as before representatives of capital 
and labor, is the establishment of a Working plan by which both can 
conduct industry and still do so to the best interests of the people ot 
the commonwealth. 

The history of the centuries has shown, again and again, that in- 
effective, despotic government places a heavy burden upon industry 
and brings disaster after disaster to the attempts of the people to 
make progress in their civilization. Applied more specifically, we 
must learn that local, state, and national government must be effective. 
In order to be so, it is essential that it should be free from graft, and 
that the men who conduct it shall be farsighted and possess some 
vision as to the future. We are reaching a stage where the conduct 
of government by men, who are conducting it for their own purposes, 
must be set aside, and in its place substitute a new type of govern- 
ment officer, who will have before him the ideals of service. The state 
can be helpful to the local government in insisting on the same point 
of view. By careful systems of taxation, well organized and developed 
on right principles, it can encourage rather than discourage the de- 
velopment of industry. And by its oversight, education, and care of 
defectives, it can insist upon the enlargement of leadership, and, at 
the same time, prevent the development of parasitic groups that are 
likely to be a burden upon the people. With all of these plans for 
the future must go, as already indicated, an adequate system of taxa- 
tion. When once viewed from this way of looking at the matter, State 



- 15 

government becomes something more than a contest between parties. 
It becomes a matter of vast importance to the commonwealth as a 
whole, and certainly the commonwealth must see sooner or later that 
the kind of government which it has, is a help or a burden to its 
citizenship. 

Behind all of these problems is the great question of organiza- 
tion. What is nobody's job is never accomplished. No one individual 
is going to take upon himself the correction of these difficulties. It 
is only by organization beginning in the communities that we can 
get better results and a higher type of community. The war has 
shown that in every community is an ardent patriotic spirit that can 
be called upon when aroused to do the necessary things. Times of 
war bring this spirit to the front, but when the ordinary routine of 
peace comes, this spirit of patriotism drops back and the consequences 
are that the community continues to move along in the old rut. There 
is a new responsibility, in view of all of the things that have been 
thus pointed out, falling upon every community, and that responsibility 
must be recognized and accepted by the leaders in the different com- 
munities. It is not within the scope of my discussion to point out 
how this organization can be accomplished. It is necessary that it 
must be brought to pass at an early date, if we are to accomplish the 
results hoped for. 

Certain it is that these conditions indicate a new and larger re- 
sponsibility of citizenship. It is a commonplace saying that democracy 
rests upon her citizenship; but, if we go no further than that and 
make no effort to produce a better type of citizen then democracy is 
bound to fail. When it has been tried and failed, the analysis of the 
situation points to the lack of vision. The old Biblical prophet put 
it, "For lack of vision, the people perish." We have had our imagina- 
tions aroused by this great war, and every man in the street sees that 
a new turning-point has come in the history of the world. So vividly 
does he see it that in some countries he has come to the point of 
saying that the old regime cannot last, that there is no good in it. 
So, he has turned to a dreamy, irresponsible type of democracy that 
fails to understand the practical problems of government. It is essen- 
tial that we in this Commonwealth of Kentucky shall not only recog- 
nize the turning-point in the history of the world and grasp some idea 
of the great awakening that has taken place, but that we should also 
take steps to carry out some of the things hoped for, and, from the 
point of view of our own future and our own necessities, take upon 
ourselves the responsibilities that the new type of citizenship calls 
for. 



Address by Arthur W. Macmahon, Assistant Chief of 
Federal Agencies Section, Field Division, Council of National 
Defense. 

Subject: "National Problems and Community Organiza- 
tion." 

Mr. Macmahon said in part: 

During the war the energies of the country were being gathered 
up in its tens of thousands of remote localities and, having been 
brought to a focus in the national government, were pressing out 
toward the distant battlefield. After the armistice the tide turned 
and began to set back upon the communities. Even in war-time, na- 
tional problems could not be met unless the smallest and most dis- 
tant neighborhoods were reached. It was natural that the Council 
of National Defense, in its recommendations to the war organizations 
in the states, should have put increasing emphasis upon the integra- 
tion of the ultimate communities. After-war problems call in even 
greater degree for community initiative. It is natural that the key- 
note &f the Council's present message to the defense bodies with 
which it has co-operated should be the earnest suggestion that they 
build now toward permanent community organization. 

We have entered upon a difficult period of readjustment which 
we call "reconstruction." It grows out of the extraordinary conditions 
of the war, on the one hand, and merges, on the other side, into per- 
manent problems of American life. Those who have worked in war 
organizations are not discharged until the more critical at least of 
the phases of this period have been passed. In attacking its problems 
they can happily build, not for a day, but for the future. Reconstruc- 
tion, at least under American conditions, means primarily the recur- 
rence of old and standing issues. Unemployment, friction regarding 
the wage-scale between employers and employees and between skilled 
and unskilled and between men and women employees, the assimila- 
tion of alien elements, the final abolition of illiteracy, the removal of 
the conditions which made unfit 38% of the young men called under 
the Selective Service Act — all these and many other problems asso- 
ciated with reconstruction are not new problems in the United States. 

The war, however, has done at least three things to old prob- 
lems. In the first place, it has made certain of them exceedingly 
acute. Such center chiefly around the unemployment which has fol- 
lowed the demobilization of our armies and the cessation or curtail- 
ment of our so-called war industries and around the adjustment of 
the price levels of basic commodities to a point where the energies of 
business, temporarily stagnated, can again resume a normal rate of 
flow. In the second place, the war has heightened all our old prob- 
lems by arousing expectations in the minds of our people. Nations 



17 

cannot hold, as the Allied Nations have done in waging the war, that 
there are wrongs in the redress of which no price is too high, without 
thereby engendering the demand that something of the same indigna- 
tion, high courage, and organized attack shall be brought to bear upon 
many crying abuses in our national life. You are here today, I take it, 
because the war has awakened such expectations in Kentucky and 
has made all the standing problems of your State seem more serious 
than ever before. In the third place, not only has the war sharpened 
some of our problems and lifted all of them, but it has given us as 
a people a new skill in the technique of organization and an eagerness 
to try upon the problems of peace the tools which were so effective 
in coping with the necessities of war-time. Although it is wholesome 
to remember that the war was fought because of international wrongs 
and on behalf of international remedies, it has yielded remarkable by- 
products along domestic lines. It would be criminally wasteful and 
an invitation to discontent not to make the most of these by-products 
now in the previous moment when the iron is still hot. 

Some of our after-war problems, as price readjustments, rail- 
roads, shipping, are national in the sense that by their their nature 
they must be met primarily by agencies of the national government. 
Others, like the many exceedingly urgent problems involved in the 
reception, re-employment, and reacclimatization to civil life of re- 
turning soldiers and war- workers, are and cannot help being primarily 
questions which the men's own communities must meet. Nearly all, 
however, are at once national and community problems. They are 
national in the sense that they involve the foundations of American 
life and that their neglect in any one part of the country cannot re- 
main a matter of indifference to the rest. They are community prob- 
lems, even when agencies of the national government are at work 
upon them, in the sense that the attempted remedies act upon the air 
and are in the end sterile unless they are made effective through the 
organization of the life of minute localities. It is easy to multiply 
examples of national activities which rest ultimately upon community 
organization. We are profoundly disturbed by the growth of farm- 
tenancy and propose that some how or other still easier credit than 
obtains at present shall be made available to the dwellers on the soil; 
no plan can be suggested which will not involve the voluntary asso- 
ciation of groups of neighbors. We talk of the cost of living and in- 
voke the aid of national agencies, at present of the Post Office De- 
partment especially, to bridge the gap between producers and con- 
sumers; their assistance is futile until co-operation has been effected 
in both country and city. The United States Department of Agricul- 
ture, in colaboration with the land-grant colleges in the states, has 
built up one of the most remarkable educational organizations in the 
world; it nevertheless must rely in large part upon the voluntary asso- 
ciations which rise up in communities to meet its agents to make its 
work actually effective. These random illustrations indicate that the 



18 

instrumentalities of government, both national and state, are de- 
pending more rather than less upon what we call community organiza- 
tion, 

We mean by community organization, obviously, an organization 
which is public in the sense that its purposes and its membership em- 
brace all residents in the community, but which is non-governmental 
in the sense that it is voluntary, personal and informal in character. 
It is thus separate from the local government proper, although it is 
closely allied to it and is constantly tending to enrich and strengthen 
it. Community organization is flexible and capable of experimenta- 
tion; it can run ahead of governmental agencies and, when it has 
demonstrated the success of some enterprise for the general good, can 
transfer it to the hands of the regular government. In addition it 
can carry on permanently the many activities which are essentially 
public in nature but which are possible only when people are banded 
together personally and voluntarily. Community organization insists 
upon the comradeship of all residents in the same locality who, 
simply because they are people and live near together, have in com- 
mon certain great interests which must never be obscured by other 
differences. At the same time, community organization recognizes 
the existence of many special local problems which call for special 
organization. In the sense in which it is understood and advocated 
by the Council of National Defense, the organization of a community 
does not block the way to such special forms. Rather it facilitates 
their formation when they are necessary and allows them to preserve 
the special connections which their work makes necessary, as the 
connection of a Farm Bureau with the Department of Agriculture; 
without abolishing diversity, it preserves the ultimate unity of all 
community endeavor. 

What shall be the basis of community organization, when we 
build it in these challenging days of reconstruction to last into the 
future? The Council of National Defense is acutely conscious that 
community organization is wholesome only when it is accommodated, 
both in area and in structure, to the peculiarities of each locality. 
The Council does not attempt to suggest more than general principles. 
It believes now, as it has urged throughout the war, in advocating Com- 
munity Councils of Defense, that it is desirable and possible to com- 
bine two principles of organizatj^a which are sometimes represented 
as antagonistic. The first of these insists that the community organi- 
zation shall include all of the residents of the community, but as in- 
dividuals and only as individuals. It concedes the need of special 
committees, to be sure, but brushes aside all existing bodies of a 
special character — granges, churches, clubs, chapters and the rest — 
and attempts to organize the whole community afresh upon the 
democratic foundation of universal individual membership. The sec- 
ond principle, on the other hand, recognizes that there are a variety 
of local interests and that in most communities people are already 



19 

grouped together in churches, Red Cross auxiliaries, agricultural 
clubs, commercial organizations and the like. This principle retains 
such bodies and forms the community organization by federating them. 
The Council of National Defense thinks that each of these principles 
of organization is, by itself, incomplete and inadequate and that the 
best forms of community organization are secured by blending them. 
It has accordingly always recommended that the community organiza- 
tion shall be built upon the membership of all the residents in the 
locality and that, at the same time, the leaders of all special bodies 
which touch public problems shall be brought together and associated 
with the management of the community organization. In the stress 
of war, when speed was all important, relatively more emphasis was 
necessarily placed upon building Community Councils out of the 
bodies already existing. Even then, however, the Council urged that 
Community Councils, as the ultimate links in the chain of defense, 
should be inherently popular and not merely tight little groups of 
leaders. Now that the time has come to build permanently, less 
emphasis must be given to the federation of existing agencies and 
more to the element of a broad and inclusive membership as the basis 
and source of control of every community organization. Not only that, 
but the community organizations which have grown up in war-time 
must now be overhauled, to make sure that they rest upon this element 
and are in fact organizations of whole communities. 

How shall the impulse toward thoroughgoing community organi- 
zation be kept alive and carried from place to place, until every 
locality has been covered? During the war, and, the Council of Na- 
tional Defense hopes, during the continuance of the present period 
of readjustment also, the State Councils of Defense and State Divisions 
of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense to- 
gether have acted and will act as centers of leadership for community 
organization. The Council of National Defense, under the act of Aug- 
ust 29, 1916, which established it before our entrance into the war, is 
itself a permanent body and will undoubtedly continue, even after 
the period of reconstruction has passed, to study quietly the problems 
of industrial mobilization. Above all, speaking from its experience 
in the war, the Council hopes that permanent centers of leadership 
for community organization will be established in the states. The 
Council suggests that the essential advisory leadership to communi- 
ties can be most effectively rendered by a state bureau which will 
represent jointly the various branches of the state government which 
have to do with the organization of community groups as a neces- 
sary incident to the discharge of their duties. Women should be asso- 
ciated with such a bureau; in view of the large role which they 
actually play in all community undertakings, it is only fair and wise 
that they should be very directly in touch with the source from which 
suggestions will emanate. An example of the general type of bureau 
which the Council of National Defense has in mind is afforded in the 



20 

so-called State Bureau of Community Service of North Carolina, 
which represents jointly the State Departments of Education, Agri- 
culture and Health, the State College of Agriculture and Engineering, 
the State Normal and Industrial College, and the State Farmers' 
Union. The Council of National Defense is not prepared to say 
whether in its details this is the best form even for North Carolina; 
certainly it recognizes that the type of bureau in which leadership 
for community organization can be most effectively embodied, is con- 
ditioned by circumstances which vary from state to state. It hopes 
that, in the interval which is now conveniently afforded before the 
next session of your state legislature, you will study how this problem 
can best be met in Kentucky. The Council is confident that the 
establishment of a permanent agency which can, by correspondence 
and field workers, quicken and sustain the already widely spread 
impetus to effect community organization, which will be a clearing 
house for the experience of organized communities, and which will 
be a channel through which the departments of the national and state 
governments can reach these communities, is a necessary step in 
keeping for all time one of the finest fruits of the war. 

In an empire it used to be said that all roads lead to Rome. If 
a democracy is real, all roads lead home. We mean by "home" the 
ultimate and intimate communities in which people are born and 
live and die and in which their life is made either rich and varied or 
meager and monotonous. We do not ask for insularity or a small 
outlook when we say that all roads should lead home. Rather we ask 
that the whole world shall come to each countryside and that the 
resources of the whole government shall be effective in each block. 
This, is not possible when there is merely apathetic reliance upon 
distant centers of government. It becomes possible only when com- 
munities themselves are organized to express their innate initiative 
and to receive the many services which the governments of state and 
nation stand ready to put at their disposal. 



TUESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION. 

Hon. V. 0. Gilbert, Superintendent of Public Instruction of 

Kentucky, Presiding. 

Addresses by Miss Charl 0. Williams, County School Super- 
intendent, Memphis, Tennessee; and 

Professor J. Virgil Chapman, Supervisor of Rural Schools 
for Kentucky. v 

Subject : "The Rural School and What to Do With It." 

Miss Williams : 

The subject of the rural school in the South never seemed so 
attractive to me nor so full of possibilities as it does today when 



21 

I have just come from Chicago, that Mecca for hundreds of thousands 
of Hungarians, Sicilians, Poles, Russians, Germans. The crowded, 
noisy, dirty, poverty stricken districts of the city with all of its 
boasted advantages, suffer in comparison with the fresh air and the 
open fields of the small town or country, and the pure Anglo-Saxon 
one hundred per cent American population of the South is an asset 
too great to be estimated. 

To my mind the so-called negro problem of our section pales into 
insignificance and becomes no problem at all compared with the large, 
foreign, non-English speaking population that infests other sections. 
The negro is first of all an American, and he loves the Flag that 
freed him, while it may take many generations to make Americans 
out of the conglomerate mass of people of Bolshevist tendencies. We 
are not sure of results even then. At least our experience thus far 
has not been a pronounced success. 

* For ten years, according to my observation, the rural school has 
occupied a prominent and generous space on every program of every 
State or National Meeting on Education, and yet the nation-wide prog- 
ress does not seem to have been made that one might expect in this 
field of endeavor. The "Back to the Country Movement" will end in 
a miserable failure, and the agitators may plead in vain unless some 
real education is substituted for the hopeless makeshift now offered 
to our country population. Ambitious, enterprising people are not 
going to send their children to the average one and two-room school 
today and not one of us could honestly advise it. 

The needs of the rural school of today are definite and immediate, 
and the changes in some sections must be sweeping and radical 
before anything worth whijte can be said to have been accomplished. 
The needs or this much talked of institution sound simple — a building, 
teachers, children. 

No mean type of building will satisfy the people we are trying to 
coax back to our farms today. This temple of childhood should be 
beautiful — good to look upon — and should set the standard for archi- 
tecture throughout the whole community. The essentials of heating, 
lighting and ventilation should be overlooked by one skilled in the 
business. The modern school in the country should provide for suffi- 
cient class-room space to prevent overcrowding, for play-rooms, rest- 
rooms, hot-lunch room, laboratories for physics, chemistry, agricul- 
ture, home economics and manual training, library, community-room 
and auditorium. The authorities who construct such a building may 
confidently look forward to the time when it will be the real center 
of all community activities. 

The equipment should be of the best' type and in keeping with 
the building. Not less than five acres — ten would be better — will suf- 
fice for a school of this kind. A principal's home and a janitor's house 
on the school campus should be a part of the school plant. The school 
grounds should be made beautiful with trees and shrubs and suitable 



22 

portions equipped with playground apparatus for the little children 
and other portions laid off for basketball for boys and girls, base-ball, 
and tennis for the teachers. A gymnasium will make it possible to 
keep these sports going in inclement weather and in the winter time 
and even at night. We must prepare for a great scheme of physical 
education for it is sure to follow this war. 

The interior of this building must be attractive and in such good 
taste that it will set the standard for good housekeeping and house- 
furnishing in the entire community. The country children should 
have the best in literature, music and art brought to them through 
good books and magazines, victrolas and pictures. 

Such a school will be a failure in the beginning should the man- 
agement of it be attempted by the teacher of the average one and two- 
room type. The minimum training for a task like this should be a 
good high school education followed by a two-year course at a Normal 
School. These teachers should from time to time as the work de- 
velops take special training at summer schools at the expense of the 
State. No better investment than this on the part of the State can 
be made. Salaries sufficient to allow study one summer and travel 
the next would bring in returns, the value of which can not be com- 
puted. 

The teachers in this school should love country life and see the 
possibilities in it, should love the out-of-doors and take joy in teaching 
children the beauty of their native surroundings. Above all, these 
teachers must love people with all of their faults, and be able to 
reckon with the frailties of human nature, and believe in the final 
triumph of the good that is in us all. Teachers of this type are a 
genuine asset to any community and they should be so cared for in 
good homes that they will want to spend their week-ends in the com- 
munity and come back year after year to the same school to teach. 

It is barely possible for a one-room school to succeed, but the 
teacher of it would have to be a versatile genius. In order to furnish 
better teachers and better environment in every sense of the word, 
it has been found advisable to consolidate a group of small schools 
into one large school. In the average one and two-room schools there 
are not enough students in the classes to make the work interesting 
for teacher or pupils, which alone would be sufficient inducement to 
consolidate. The one-room school must go, wherever possible, and 
give place to a better school, if the type of education given to our 
children is to materially improve. 

Where road conditions permit, the children can be transported 
to the central school in motor trucks; when the climate is not too 
cold or the routes too long horse-drawn wagons are very satisfactory. 
When a school is discontinued a much better substitute must be pro- 
vided, else people may rightfully ask, "Why must we go so much fur- 
ther for the same thing we were getting at home?" If comfortable 
wagons and compstent drivers are provided and the consolidated 



23 

school is of the type it should be, the children themselves will never 
give it up. 

Adequate supervision must be provided to keep a system of rural 
schools functioning properly. No Superintendent, man or woman, no 
matter how trained, efficient or active he may be, can do all that is 
required of a County Superintendent of Schools. The question of 
supervision of City Schools, highly organized as they are, is no 
longer a debatable one. Why is it expected that County Superintend- 
ents can do more? The salaries paid County Superintendents are 
shamefully low; they are not securing the trained superintendents 
the schools should have and they never will. The salaries that are 
paid all employees throughout the school systems must be materially 
increased, else we shall take a backward movement at this period 
that will require a quarter of a century to overcome. 

The South especially is not doing its full duty in the question of 
support for its schools. After four years of experience with tax levy- 
ing bodies and the public at large, I have found that bonds and taxes 
are most unpopular. So strenuously do people object to paying taxes 
and so assiduously do they avoid them when possible that I have come 
to believe that the only revenue in the public treasury consists in the 
taxes the people could not escape paying. Such a viewpoint is en- 
tirely wrong. Some wholesome tax education is necessary if the 
schools continue to grow. The coming generations must be taught 
the cost of the education they want, and they must pay for what 
they get. 

Our people have not yet fully realized that education is an asset 
and not a charity. It has been calculated by competent authorities 
that the per capita wealth of any State or Nation is in direct ratio 
to the per capita cost of education. The richest and most powerful 
nations in the world are those that have established good school sys- 
tems, and they have not established good school systems because they 
are rich and powerful but they are rich and powerful because they 
have established good school systems. We have only to compare 
Russia and Mexico with England, France and America to note the 
truth of this statement. 

The recent draft brought to light among much valuable informa- 
tion the fact that this country with all its boasted advantages has an 
alarming percentage of illiteracy. This is particularly true of the 
South with its large negro population. The chain is just as strong 
as its weakest link, so if this Nation is to successfully meet the issues 
it must inevitably face in the years to come, this Government of the 
People, and for the People must be administered by a People whose 
bodies are strong and vigorous, whose minds are keen and active, 
and whose spirit is noble and undefiled. Such a people can be pro- 
duced only by an efficient system of nation-wide education. 

You may be interested in what has been done with the rural 
schools of my county, Shelby County, the largest in Tennessee, the 



24 

count}'' seat of which is Memphis, and is situated in the extreme south- 
western part of the State. A good system of roads penetrates to the 
farthest corners and the lowlands are easily crossed even in high 
water by a system of levees and bridges. Shelby county's present 
school system dates back about twelve years, when a* state law was 
passed abolishing the district unit and establishing the county unit 
of administration. All of the good things that have come to us in 
education may be traced back to the wise men who valiantly fought 
for this measure. 

The system is administered by a High School Board of Education 
of six members — the County Superintendent being ex-officio member 
— elected by the County Court for a term of three years, two being 
elected every January; a County Board of Education elected by the 
people for a term of six years, five elected from the five school dis- 
tricts respectively and two from the county at large; and a Superin- 
tendent elected by the County Court for a term of four years. The 
Superintendent is given a very free hand in the administration of 
school interests and is paid a salary of $3,350 per year, $350 of which 
is paid by the State. An automobile, a Ford Sedan, with chauffeur 
for twelve months in the year, day or night, is at the disposal of the 
Superintendent, the entire expense being paid by the Board of Educa- 
tion. The Board believes that the Superintendent should be in close 
touch with State and National movements in education, so she is sent 
to the Tennessee Public School Officers' Association, which meets 
every January at the State Capitol, to the Department of Superintend- 
ence of the National Education Association, which meets in February 
and to the National Educational Association in July, her expenses 
being paid by the Board. 

She is assisted in the discharge of her duties by specially trained 
supervisors, one for primary education and one for home economics 
and science. These two women use the Superintendent's car on Mon- 
days, Wednesdays and Fridays in visiting the schools; Tuesdays and 
Thursdays are kept for office days when reports are made to the 
Superintendent and lesson plans are worked out; Saturdays are gen- 
eral conference days when many teachers come into the office for a 
friendly visit or for counsel and aid. These supervisors receive $1,800 
and are employed for the entire year. Their worth to the County 
Schools can not be estimated; they are loyally supported by the 
teachers and in turn are loyal to the Superintendent and Board of 
Education. It is their duty to pass on the qualifications of every 
teacher before he is employed; then to see that these teachers are 
placed in the schools where a maximum service can be secured from 
them; to see that the course of study is kept up to modern needs and 
that it is intelligently carried out in the schools; and to keep a gen- 
eral oversight over the school and community activities. 

A Supervisor of Agriculture is employed at a salary of $2,040 per 
year. He has charge of all the club work for boys and visits the school 



25 

in his own automobile. A secretary to the Superintendent and the 
Board is employed at a salary of $1,500 per year. She is chief clerk 
of the office and looks after the clerical duties of the Superintendent. 
The fact that she has ten years of teaching experience in the Shelby 
County Rural and Suburban Schools makes her services invaluable. 
A stenographer is employed at $960.00 per year, a bookkeeper who 
can also do stenographic work is employed at $1,200 per year. Accu- 
rate reports are made quarterly to the County Court and annually 
to the State Superintendent. All the finances of the County Schools 
are handled in the Superintendent's office and every warrant is signed 
jointly by the Superintendent and Chairman. The Chairman of both 
Boards spends as much time as is necessary in the discharge of his 
duties and receives $900 per year. The members of the Board re- 
ceive $240 per year. 

A suite of offices is provided for the school forces in our beautiful 
million dollar court house, a building of pure Greek architecture that 
is the pride of the entire South. The imposing entrance, the marble 
stairways and corridors and the mahogany woodwork and furnishings 
give a beauty and dignity to the surroundings that are a genuine in- 
spiration. Not many State Departments of Education in the entire 
country are so wonderfully situated as is the County Department of 
Education of Shelby County. 

For work in the negro schools, three women supervisors are em- 
ployed, $25.00 per month being contributed to their salaries from the 
Jeannes Fund and they report weekly to the Superintendent. We re- 
gard this as a minimum force that can successfully supervise a school 
system as large and as highly organized as our own. 

The consolidation of schools is practically completed in Shelby 
County; the movement has been going on steadily and quietly since 
1907 when there were between ninety and one hundred one and two- 
room schools in the county. Today there are thirty-six white schools, 
twenty-two of which may be called consolidated schools with forty- 
three wagonettes and eighteen motor trucks, two hundred twenty-five 
white teachers and a scholastic population of eight thousand white 
children. 

In the past seven years Shelby County has added new buildings 
amounting to $525,000.00 exclusive of equipment, $400,000.00 of which 
is a bonded indebtedness. A bill is now before the legislature ask- 
ing for $300,000.00 for additional buildings, and I have the promise 
of the Shelby Delegation that it will be passed this week. These 
school houses have been built by architects who understood, in the 
main, the business of building schools. They have steam heat, elec- 
tric lights, water works, slate boards, cloak-rooms, play-rooms, labora- 
tories for physics, chemistry, cooking, sewing and agriculture, hot- 
lunch rooms, libraries, community rooms and auditoriums that seat 
from two hundred fifty to one thousand people. 



26 

Most of the new schools have a small model dining-room, adjoin- 
ing- the school kitchen, where the girls may have the opportunity to 
study house furnishing and serving of meals and other phases of the 
work that any home-maker might be interested in. The entire furni- 
ture of this room, including china, linen and silver, is always bought 
by the community. Here the Superintendent, Supervisors and Board 
members are often entertained as well as parents and friends of the 
various classes. This is counted as a regular feature of the course of 
study and it is regarded as a privilege by the class that is chosen to 
serve the meals. 

Not long ago I was invited out on Saturday evening to an eighth 
grade country school, four miles from a railroad to a dinner where a 
doctor just returned from France was a guest of honor. The five- 
course dinner was prepared and served by ten iifth and seventh grade 
girls, two little girls serving each course. 

The table was correctly laid with six pieces of silver at each 
place, which with the china and beautiful linen is the property of 
the school. I recall that it was "Washington's Birthday and that the 
place cards were designed and colored by these children and that the 
bon-bons and the receptacles for them were also a part of their handi- 
work. The meal itself was delicious, such as might have been served 
in any well appointed home. At the close of the dinner the com- 
munity gathered at the school and listened to excellent singing by the 
students and to a thrilling recital of recent events of this great war 
by the doctor. These girls had a practical demonstration of true 
hospitality and they learned some of the privileges and responsibili- 
ties of home-makers. This building is not new or modern but it 
happens to have the most complete "Home Making Department" in 
the county, because the principal there has a vision and the courage 
to live up to it. A large two-story addition was placed there three 
years ago and the lower room not being immediately needed for class- 
room, she asked that a partition be built in lengthwise the room with 
double doors in the center and that the walls be painted a soft gray. 
In one of the rooms there is ample space for the cooking and sewing 
departments, and in the other for the dining and living rooms, an 
imaginary line separating them. The furniture for the dining-room 
is of the William and Mary period, and the living-room furniture is in 
harmony with it, all purchased by the community. The brown rugs 
with the mulberry hangings and cream curtains at the windows and 
pretty pictures on the walls give a finish to the surroundings that may 
well make it the model for the entire neighborhood. 

There are twenty-two well equipped kitchens in Shelby County, 
presided over by twenty-two well trained teachers who meet once a 
month in a special meeting of their own with the Home Economics 
Supervisor, at which the heads of this department at the Normal 
School and the City High Schools are regular attendants. A separate 



27 

course of study has been made for this department to suit our needs 
and to meet modern demands. Home Economics has come to stay 
in Shelby County; every girl from the fifth grade through the High 
School is required to take it and they never question it. Each year 
at the Tri-State Fair in Memphis about two hundred girls with their 
teachers hold regular classes in cooking, sewing, canning, laundry and 
ironing. To do this is looked upon as a privilege, and the classes 
take great pride in demonstrating to the admiring public how their 
work should be done. 

The war gave great impetus to food production and today we have 
the most enthusiastic Pig, Poultry and Corn Clubs we have ever had, 
the boys and girls wanting pure bred stock for the most part this 
year A large silver loving cup is offered the school this year that 
scores the most points in the Poultry Contest. For several years a 
cup has been given to the corn clubs. 

In every community there is an active Parent Teachers' Associa- 
tion or some sort of community club which has for its prime object 
the betterment of school interests. These organizations stand ready 
at all times to assist the teachers in carrying out their plans. They 
contribute many things to the schools which the Board of Education 
could never afford to buy, such as pianos, victrolas, pictures, rest- 
room and community-room furniture, hot-lunch room equipment, play- 
ground apparatus, china, linen, silver, flags, service flags, etc. 
Two years ago just before we became engrossed in war activities we 
made a detailed report of these contributions. They totaled in value 
$16,500, which is the county's pro rata of a 4 cent tax levy. 

The enthusiasm of these people for their schools is an inspira- 
tion to those who have the system to control. It has been wonderfully 
demonstrated' this winter when four schools have gathered once a 
week at the gymnasium of the Memphis Y. M. C. A. to play basket- 
ball. Supporters of the teams numbered nearly four hundred people 
and they brought the evening meal with them, and spread it picnic 
fashion in the banquet hall where the "Y" served coffee to the entire 
crowd. Community singing and a general, wholesome good time fol- 
lowed. County officials and city professional men whose homes are 
in the county stayed in town to help their teams win. This is but 
one example of the real community spirit that has grown up about 
each school. 

It would prolong this paper to an unreasonable extent to attempt 
to tell you of the many meetings and the many good times that are 
held in these auditoriums and community rooms. It is no uncommon 
thing and considered not a great undertaking to serve refreshments 
to one hundred and fifty people from the school kitchen. Being near a 
city, we often get splendid lecturers who are glad to go out in the 
county schools, and Memphis talent is heavily drawn upon by our am- 
bitious, energetic teaching force. 



* 28 

The visits of one school to another through track meets, ora- 
torical contests, basket-ball games, Pig, Poultry and Corn Shows and 
their united effort at the Fair is going to make for a wide friend- 
ship and a fine spirit of cooperation, when these youngsters grow 
up and have the affairs of the county to manage. 

The greatest asset of our school system is the splendid teaching 
force of which we are justly proud. This year when many sections 
have not been able to open their schools for want of teachers, Shelby 
County has maintained the highest standard in its history. I have 
often said that the county schools are run on the minimum of funds 
and the maximum of spirit, for though we pay higher salaries than 
most counties in the State, these excellent teachers are not paid in 
proportion to the services they render. Teachers' meetings are held 
once each month in the court house and departmental meetings as 
often as possible. These teachers come from everywhere and they 
go everywhere for training. They are an integral part of the com- 
munity and contribute the leadership so often lacking in small towns 
and rural sections. 

The same thing may be said of the fine spirit of our negro teach- 
ers of whom we have two hundred. There are seventy-three negro 
schools and a negro scholastic population of 16,000 children. This is 
a large school system in itself, and presents a huge problem that 
we are honestly, earnestly trying to solve. 

We have accomplished many things in education in Shelby 
County, but we know full well that we are only laying a foundation 
for a real system of schools. We feel that our big problem just now 
is to bring home to our people with telling force the difference be- 
tween good schools and poor ones, to impress deeply upon them the 
fact that they alone are responsible if inferior schools are allowed 
to exist, and that the small additional rate of taxatjpn required to 
maintain good schools is trivial compared to the lasting benefits to 
their children. 

We believe the people can be educated along these lines and to 
that end we are now planning an educational campaign in our section 
of Tennessee. When this idea once begins to spread there will be a 
change in the attitude of taxpayers, and instead of begging for the 
funds that we are now given almost grudgingly and as though a favor 
were being bestowed we shall witness the miracle of the people de- 
manding that their schools be adequately supported and that they be 
taxed sufficiently to meet the educational needs of their children. 



Professor Chapman : 

The greatest problem that confronts Kentucky, or the Nation, to- 
day is the rural problem. The most intricate phase of this problem 
and at the same time the most potent factor in its solution is the 



29 

rural school. It seems useless to declare that, even in the new light 
of a new day, the rural school problem is still unsolved. The chief 
reason for this condition is that hitherto we have not been able to 
concentrate the best thought and wisdom and determined efforts of 
our citizens upon its solution. We are to be congratulated, therefore, 
that our State is finally being aroused, as a slumbering giantess, from 
her lethargy, and that she is to enjoy, through the Council of Defense 
and other organizations, the loyal support and consecrated service of 
a more intensely interested and zealous citizenry than ever before in 
the improvement of her rural conditions and the beautifying of her 

rural life. 

• 

Practically all students of educational administration are now 
agreed that in order to meet the demands of the times some form of 
reconstruction and reorganization is necessary. It is generally con- 
ceded that our school system must be broadened and strengthened, 
the courses of study enriched and vitalized, and particularly that the 
work of the school system must be made to articulate with the life 
of the community. As the rural school has been neglected more than 
any other factor in our educational systems, it is evident that the 
readjustment of conditions, the equalization of opportunities, and the 
improvement of facilities must begin in the country. Here is the 
vital and fundamental element that will count so much in our national 
growth toward efficiency and democracy. 

It is a source of gratification to me that in this assembly of pa- 
triotic men and women I am privileged to speak, though briefly, in be- 
half of the rural schools of our State. With the intrepid spirit of 
freemen, we have assisted in winning a great war, to make the world 
safe for democracy. Our brave boys, with patriotic fervor and daunt- 
less nerve, have endured shot and shell, poisonous gas and liquid fire, 
to plant the banner of victory and democracy upon the ramparts of 
the most tyrannical and fiendish foe in all history, to check the on- 
slaught of the bloody beast against every form of human right and 
human happiness. Now, as crowned with the laurel leaves of victory 
and decorated for bravery on foreign fields, they return to the land 
they love and serve so well, shall they find that we in "keeping the 
home-fires burning" are making "democracy safe for the world?" I 
affirm that, until Kentucky secures to the boys and girls of the rural 
districts advantages equal to those offered to children in the towns 
and cities, she has no right to boast of her democracy. Every girl in 
Old Kentucky is a daughter of the Commonwealth; every boy in all 
this great nation is a son of the Republic. The poorest child from 
the humblest home in the most obscure community in all the land is 
entitled to the very best instruction and the amplest opportunity to 
grow into the highest type of citizenship that the State can furnish. 
Until such inalienable right is secured and the country boy is given 
the same chance in the schoolroom as his city cousin, we should 



30 

cease to boast of our democracy and to talk about "a government of 
the people, by the people and for the people." 

In the rapidly changing conditions, marvelous progress has been 
made in almost every line of human activity. With wonderful de- 
velopments in all forms of industrial life, boys and girls have been 
deprived of much valuable home training in domestic arts formerly 
received in the home as a result of an economic necessity. Statistics 
show furthermore that there has been for a number of years a gen- 
eral nation-wide drift from the country to the town — a drift which, if 
not promptly checked, will eventually engulf both rural and urban 
population in the maelstrom of agricultural and domestic inefficiency 
and economic and commercial confusion". 

Thousands of our most successful and enterprising farmers have 
left their farms in the hands of less successful and less enterprising 
men and have moved to town to educate their children. This is in- 
variably a bad thing tor the country and not infrequently equally as 
bad for the town. One of the greatest calamities that can befall a 
rural community is for the prosperous, public-spirited citizen, be- 
cause the community is not progressive enough to maintain good 
schools and churches, to rent out his farm to a shiftless tenant, who 
cares nothing for the progress of the community, and move to the 
county seat to rear his children. It is often detrimental to the town 
because his sufficient accumulation of wealth to enable him virtually 
to retire from business is taken as evidence of capacity to serve on 
the city school board or the city council. His previous rural environ- 
ment and his false ideas of economy that prompted him to move in- 
stead of building up a good school where he was, really disqualify 
him for useful service^in his new position. Thus an injury has been 
done to both town and county, not to mention the children. 

Rural communities thus deserted are usually known by their poor 
roads, poor schools, poor churches, abandoned farms, dilapidated 
houses, scrub stock, and other conditions that make rural life barren, 
uninteresting and unattractive. So many improvements have been 
made in recent years that such conditions are unnecessary and in- 
excusable. Farming is in many sections becoming more scientific 
and more profitable; rural routes, telephones, silos, windmills, auto- 
mobiles, better methods, better roads, better homes, better stock, 
better farms, more money — all to elevate, ennoble and inspire, make 
country life highly desirable. Indeed, the farm can be made a most 
desirable place to live and rear a family. But the tragedy of the situa- 
tion is the fact that the rural school has not kept pace with the marked 
progress along other lines. 

Strangely inconsistent is many an otherwise good citizen who 
avails himself of practically all modern improvements and inventions 
of an industrial or mechanical nature, who uses telephones and automo- 
biles, and is ever on the alert to improve the stock on his farm, and 
yet seems dead to every generous impulse so far as the proper train- 



31 

ing of his child is concerned. So, while city schools have usually- 
proved themselves apt in the readjustment to changed conditions, 
have adopted modern methods, and have articulated their work with 
the home life of those they serve, the average rural community has 
made little improvement over the school of a generation past. 

This may appear to be a dark picture and may impress you as 
the reflection of a pessimistic nature. Far from it; not so much de- 
pends upon where we stand as in what direction we are faced. The 
facts are presented in an honest effort to look the situation squarely 
in the face. Too long already have "We boasted of our blue blood 
and our blue grass and clung to the sweet delusion that we were real 
aristocrats whether our people could read and write or not. Too long 
already have we been deceived by the siren voices of self-satisfaction, 
false pride and a disregard of actual conditions. We are now learn- 
ing there is a vast difference between hot air and cold facts. For us 
the prayer of the Scotch bard has been answered, and we are begin- 
ning "to see oursel's as ithers see us." 

We should like to discuss the organization and administration of 
the rural school, as a vital element in the solution of the wider rural- 
life problem. Doubtless, we are all agreed that we need better rural 
schools, better roads, better farms, better homes, better churches, 
better society, better citizens. It is evident that a modern, well- 
organized, well-equipped, well-housed, well-taught, typical country life 
school is the most powerful factor in the accomplishment of these de- 
sired results. Now, as prerequisite to this type of school, we must 
have better school houses, larger grounds, better equipment, better 
teachers, longer terms, more regular attendance, longer tenure of 
office, richer 1 and more practical courses of study, better supervision 
more sanitary • conditions, healthier school and community spirit, 
higher ideals, better salaries for teachers and superintendents, less 
selfish attention to partisan politics and more consecration to ser- 
vice. 

The world today, just recovering from the shock of war and bap- 
tized in the blood of heroes, is turning its attention to the rural school 
as the hope of the country, the mainstay of agriculture, the conser- 
vator of democratic ideals, and the bulwark of liberty. This is indeed 
a practical age, and the world is beginning to realize that these ideal 
conditions, just enumerated, can not be dreamed into existence. We 
all agree that the finest houses and equipment, with the most elaborate 
course of study, will come to nought without the personality of a real 
teacher, specially equipped for her work, realizing the dignity of her 
calling, and imbued with the missionary spirit. But we would as 
well come to the point — teachers can't live on air! Though we must 
admit that thousands of them, driven by sheer necessity, have come 
very near to acquiring the ability to do so. My candid opinion is that 
future generations will regard it as the wonder of the age that in the 
enlightened period embracing the evening of the nineteenth and the 



32 

morning of the twentieth century, experienced and trained teachers 
were required to work for less salaries than those often received by 
the commonest unskilled laborers, white and colored. 

To talk about altruism, service and sacrifice may sound well; 
but the niggardly policy pursued by some of our Southern states, cele- 
brated in story and song for their chivalry, toward the noble women 
enduring the isolation, inconvenience, indignities and hardships of 
rural life will extinguish what little life is now left in thousands of our 
country schools. Bluntly, if we hope to obtain the desirable educa- 
tional conditions already mentioned, two things are necessary: 

Revised Code of School Laws, and More Money. 

These two requisites are more intimately related than might be 
suspected; for the most feasible and effective way of securing addi- 
tional appropriation, or more money, is by a more modern and equi- 
table system of raising and distributing funds. And this can be 
secured only by a revision of our school laws. Cubberly, in discussing 
the inadequacy of the rural school to perform its functions and of the 
average rural community to comprehend and assist it in so doing, 
recommends a reorganization along three lines: More Money, Better 
Organization and Better Supervision. 

More Money. As more money is the prime requisite we consider 
it first. In this, as well as in other matters, we may differ as to de- 
tail; but it is evident that we need additional funds. A study of the 
several state systems reveals two extremes in matters of taxation for 
schools. One depends almost wholly upon state tax, with little or no 
county or district tax; the other depends for maintenance of schools 
almost entirely upon county and local taxation, with little help from 
the State. Both these systems are wrong and both likewise usually 
fail to produce an adequate school system. It is a well-established 
principle, determined in this country after much agitation, that the 
State is responsible for the education of its children. It is not de- 
sirable, however, that the State apply all its school funds to the 
various counties or districts in direct proportion to its scholastic popu- 
lation or its wealth, or in fact by any other single standard. Exper- 
ience and a careful study of different State systems have convinced 
us of the wisdom of an especial fund being set apart for the purpose 
of stimulating county and district taxation. "To stimulate a com- 
munity to educational activity is much more important than merely 
decreasing its tax rate." 

Here the speaker discussed the position of Kentucky as ninth 
in the matter of State per capita and as thirty-ninth in the amount 
spent per pupil including county and local tax. He recommended 
an additional State appropriation to be used by the State Department 
of Education, the State Board of Education or some other delegated 
authority as the State Aid Fund to stimulate local taxation. If im- 
possible or impracticable to secure such appropriation from the Gen- 



33 

eral Assembly, he favored amending Section 186 of our State Consti- 
tution which requires all State School Funds to be apportioned to the 
several counties in direct ratio to school population. This would set 
free some of the State Fund to be used as such stimulus. "Too many 
people look upon the per capita as a kind of pension and indeed it 
paralyzes local initiative, retards local taxation and disturbs local in- 
terest. I regard this proposed reform as fundamental: yea, as abso- 
lutely necessary to the life and progress of our local schools." He 
also favors raising the maximum county school tax from thirty cents 
to at least fifty cents, and contends that thirty, cents shall really 
be the minimum rather than the maximum. "This," said he, "would 
greatly aid some timid superintendents who are afraid to ask for what 
they need to maintain their schools. With a State Aid Fund these 
details would be easily adjusted." 

Acting upon the broad democratic principle of today, we realize 
the responsibility of the more prosperous citizen for the education 
of his neighbor's children, likewise that of the rich community for 
the schools of the poorer community, of the rich county for the poor 
county, of the city with its accumulation of wealth for the poor and 
sparsely settled rural district. We recognize also the fundamental 
American principle that the entire wealth of the State must be made 
available for educating the children of the State. The proper train- 
ing of the youth of the land, intellectually, morally, physically, indus- 
trially, and socially, is the most serious and important business in 
which we can engage; and no sane man today questions either the 
right or the duty of the State to exercise this function. 

But we are now catching a broader vision than this. Even as a 
child grows in his conception of his civic relationships — from the 
home to the community, then to the county, the State and the Na- 
tion, so have expanded our educational ideals as a people. Education 
was at first purely an individual matter, then one of town or com- 
munity, then a county function, then that of the State. In recent 
years there has been a trend toward broader responsibilities. There 
has been an awakening of the social and civic conscience. For a 
number of years, the National Government has made vast appro- 
priations for the promotion of agriculture in the several states. Fed- 
eral aid has been provided also in the building of roads. By the pro- 
visions of the Smith-Hughes law, the Federal government has fos- 
tered agricultural and vocational education throughout the country. 

In view of these facts, together with the recent introduction of 
the Smith-Towner bill in both houses of Congress providing for one 
hundred million dollars for public educational work in the United 
States, we now realize that four agencies are responsible for our 
schools, the Nation, the State, the county and the district. So we 
may cherish the hope that with the cooperation of all these agencies, 
educational funds and opportunities may soon be provided for all the 
children of all the people of all the States. 



34 

Ladies and gentlemen, there was a time when it would have 
seemed extremely mercenary, if not a gross violation of ethics, for 
a speaker to talk so plainly about teachers' salaries. Experience, 
even the p taught us all, if we had not learned it before, 

that to have good schools, we must have good teachers, and that to 
have good teachers, we must pay them more money. Some one says, 
■ the standard, train better teachers; and the money will be 
forthcoming." It is impossible. No bank, or railroad or factory under 
the sun would attempt to operate on that principle. "While there are 
many suggestions I should like to make in regard to the improve- 
ment of our school system, especially with reference to the rural situa- 
tion, in which I am intensely interested, yet very few of these re- 
forms could be effected without more funds. At the great me : 
of the N. E. A. in Chicago last week, I was profoundly impressed with 
the unanimity of opinion a ious speakers upon 

the matter of school finance and the imperative demand of the times 
for more money. Many state legislatures are already heeding the 
cry and are providing for increases of from fifty to a hundred per cent 
in salaries of qualified teachers in the rural schools. 

In conclusion, we need in Kentucky today— additional funds, Fed- 
eral (without Federal domination), State, county and district. 

Then, in answer to the : hat to do with the rural 

school," we would say: 

First. Give it a decent place to live in. Many of our country 
school plants are the most unsanitary, unattractive, uninspiring, 
poorly heated, poorly lighted, poorly equipped, places in the. entire 
community. (Of course, there are many notable exceptions to this 
statement. Indeed we have some that compare favorably with the 
splendid consolidated schools of Shelby County, Tennessee.) School 
buildings should b ardized, and no funds used for any but 

lard buildings. 
cond. Provide a live, efficient, well-trained, rural-minded 
teacher who is willing to live in the community where she teaches 
and is able to make herself a part of the community life and to in- 
spire higher literary, moral and social ideals. 

Third. Wherever practicable, that is, wherever the roads and 
the topography of the country will permit, organize a typical country- 
life consolidated school, embracing several subdistricts. There should 
be a modern, well-lighted, heated, ventilated, and equipped building, 
with room for manual training, domestic science, etc. In agricultural 
communities, as most of them would be, there should be at least five 
or ten acres of land for athletics and agricultural demonstration. Of 
course, it should have a library and an assembly hall for school and 
community meetings, and should be the center of the intellectual, 
social, industrial and civic life of the surrounding country. High 
school facilities should be provided, when the- a large enough 

to justify it. (We are proud of the ones we havp and are pleased to 



report a stronger sentiment for this type of school today than ever 
before.) 

Fourth. Provide a comprehensive, liberal, vital course of study, 
with more or less latitude left to the initiative of the individual 
teacher, who might thus articulate the work of the school with the 
home life of the district, with stress upon both the practical and the 
cultural. 

Fifth. Give rural teachers convenient, comfortable, home-like 
places to live. All larger schools should have teachers' cottages, such 
as are found in great numbers in many states and in several counties 
in Kentucky. Give them employment for at least nine months, and 
in many instances for twelve. 

Sixth. Special attention to health and sanitation. Also training 
for occupation and for citizenship. Enforce a stringent compulsory 
attendance law. 

Seventh. Organize every district into a community center or 
school improvement league. Cultivate the community idea and develop 
a spirit of democracy and mutual helpfulness. Our observation is 
that a properly organized league of this kind binds together the peo- 
ple of a community and lends material aid to the teacher in the exer- 
cise of her duties. The spirit of the community center idea is beau- 
tifully expressed by Edwin Markham: 

"He drew a circle which shut me out, 
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout, 
But love and I had the wit to win, — 
We (hew a circle that took him in." 

Finally, though perhaps it should come first in order, we would 
heartily recomniend, as intimated before, such revision of our school 
laws and of the constitution as to effect a reorganization of our school 
system. The choosing of State and county superintendents should 
be removed from politics, and selections made without regard to party 
emblems. There should be a reorganization of State and county 
boards of education, who should have legislative functions with the 
power to select executives responsible for administration and, super- 
vision. Standards and salaries should be raised, and every county 
superintendent should be provided with one or more supervisors and 
clerical help. 

I close with this quotation from a bulletin issued by the National 
Education Association: / 

"In a democracy every child is Hie community's child, the State's 
child, the Nation's child . . . The safety and strength of a democ- 
racy are determined by the intelligence and character of the masses of 
its people. Civilization is no stronger than its weakest link. Mani- 
festly the weakest link in the chain of the nation's education and 
civilization is the rural school. It must be strengthened, let the cost 
be what it ma)-. It is tin- task and the duty of the nation to do its 






36 

part in the strengthening. Rural education presents the greatest 
problem in America today. The rural school must be made adequate 
to its task of training the rural population. If the rural school fail, 
rural civilization will fail; if rural civilization fail, American civiliza- 
tion will fail." 

May we go down from this place reconsecrated to the holy task 
of sustaining and supporting the rural schools, which, long before the 
war, our great President predicted, "would some day prove to be the 
roots of that great tree of liberty spread for the sustenance and 
protection of all mankind." We may thus render a service to our 
beloved State, to our Nation, and to Almighty God. 



Address by Dr. Archibald Dixon, Henderson, Ky. 
Subject: "Care of Defectives." 

The question of the care of Kentucky's mental defectives is a 
very complex one and its solution requires the earnest thought and 
united action of her people. 

The care of the insane population of the State is not such a burn- 
ing and urgent problem as that of the feeble-minded. Some one has 
said that "Society despises idiots and feeble-minded people, but is 
afraid of the insane," and for that reason insane people, who are not as 
great a menace to society as are the feeble-minded, are not permitted 
to roam at large; inquests are held to test their sanity or insanity and 
if found to be insane they are at once committed to a State hospital, 
where they are properly cared for, and properly treated. 

The most serious question before our people is the proper care 
and provision for these "Pawns of Fate," as the feeble-minded are 
called by Dr. Paul E. Bowers, and I shall confine my remarks more 
particularly to the care of this class of defectives. 

The signing of the armistice bringing with it the dawn of peace, 
the consequent decrease in emergency war work, furnishes opportuni- 
ties both for the Federated Clubs of the State and the Kentucky 
Council of Defense to become active workers in all plans which make 
for a betterment of Kentucky. With the aid of these two splendidly 
organized bodies and the influence which they and they alone can 
bring to bear upon the next General Assembly, there is hope of ac- 
complishing legislation which will redound to the credit and uplift 
of the people at large and to the comfort and happiness of all their 
defectives. 

In October, 1917, as a member of the State Board of Control, I 
presented to the medical profession of the State a statement of the 
then existing provisions for the mental defectives of the State as 
set forth in the report of Dr. Thos. H. Haines. This statement read 



37 

before the Kentucky State Medical Association was in the nature of 
a revelation to most of the medical men present, few of whom had 
paid any attention whatever to the subject. They did not know that 
two per cent of the inhabitants of the State were mental defectives 
either feeble-minded or psychopathic or both, "which group keeps the 
other ninety-eight per cent busy looking after it, for its numbers 
make up the bulk of our dependents and delinquents. Nature's step- 
children and prison fodder." Furthermore, the entire history of 
criminality, as far back as we can go, points unmistakably to but one 
conclusion, and that is from time immemorial defectiveness and crime 
have been synonymous. There can be no doubt in the minds of those 
who have studied the subject that a large majority of youthful crim- 
inals not only in Kentucky, but in every other State, and especially in 
every large city, are feeble-minded, morons, by hypermorons, or the 
victims of dementia praecox, all with criminal inclinations. 

Mental defectiveness is hereditary and constitutional, and con- 
sequently not amenable to our preachings, asylums, reformatories, 
penitentiaries, etc. We must ever bear in mind that each year a new 
quota of defectives is born with statistical regularity. They pass 
through the hands of parents, then the pedagogues, the theologians, 
the physicians, the social workers, the employers, the courts, the 
prisons and back on society, each one in turn passing them on to the 
next and no one willing to acknowledge their impotency in the face of 
mental defectiveness. 

Dr. Haines set forth in his report that there were in Kentucky 
over three thousand feeble-minded persons who were costing the 
State a total sum of three hundred and twenty-one thousand dollars 
yearly; that many of these poor unfortunates were distributed in hos- 
pitals for the insane, where they do not belong; that many were in 
alms houses, where, in a majority of cases, they are not and cannot 
be adequately protected; that many were in institutions for children 
and in public schools; that a greater number than all the foregoing 
were at large in their communities free to propagate and perpetuate 
their kind. 

It is an established fact that feeble-mindedness is inherited, and 
to this fact is due at least two-thirds of our present feeble-minded 
population. It is a further fact that the feeble-minded mother is 
more prolific than the normal mother; that the feeble-minded are 
perennial children, lacking in judgment and resistance to evil in- 
fluences and are therefore unable to adjust themselves to normal life 
in the community. It is also a lamentable fact that the social evil is 
fed from the ranks of feeble-minded women. The public and private 
organizations dealing with pauperism, inebriety, family desertion and 
illegitimacy find this same element of feeble-mindedness entering into 
and complicating their work in a larger degree perhaps than any 
other factor. In all our schools there are children that we call back- 



ward or retarded, and while much of this lagging behind is undoubt- 
edly due to remedial causes, just as certainly a very considerable 
part of it is due to a mental deficit that is irremediable. We do not 
know how large this per cent is, but we do know that it is large 
enough to affect, and that it is affecting, our whole educational system. 

As a remedy for this I advocated the passage of a law permitting 
the sterilization of confirmed criminals, idiots and imbeciles, or in 
lieu of this colony care and segregation under State control. Sterili- 
zation is incomparably the better, and could such a law be enforced 
in the whole United States, less than four generations would eliminate 
nine-tenths of the crime, insanity and sickness of the present genera- 
tion in our land. Asylums, prisons and hospitals would decrease and 
the problems of the unemployed, the indigent old and the hopelessly 
degenerate would cease to trouble civilization. The great horde of 
defectives, once in the world, have the right to live and to enjoy as 
best they may whatever freedom compatible with the lives and free- 
dom of the other members of society. They have not the right to 
produce and reproduce their kind for a too generous and too blindly 
"charitable" society to contend against. The greater crime consists 
in allowing the hereditary criminal to be born. 

After all, to put the aspect of the matter upon a dollar basis, and 
that is apparently the only relation that affects a good many people, 
why should the able and worthy and thrifty members of society be 
compelled to pay as they are, in Kentucky alone, over three hundred 
thousand dollars annually, to say nothing of the immense sums vol* 
untarily contributed toward "charitable" purposes for the support -of 
the criminal and pauper defective classes who themselves contribute 
nothing of value and whose very existence is evidence of criminal 
disregard of the right of every individual to be well born, into a sane 
and healthy life? The only answer, if it be an answer, is, because 
the competent are willing to foot the bill. 

The provisions of the new law, if properly amended, enforced 
and carried out, will not only lessen the number of the mental de- 
fectives whom to permit to be born is a crime against society, but 
will also lessen the number of crimes. 

A high percentage of the women law-breakers of Kentucky are 
feeble-minded. It is within the bounds of reason to state that sixty 
per cent of the inmates of State reform and training schools for girls 
are mentally defective. Their offenses are violations of the moral 
code. 

Only under the most careful and constant supervision can the 
feeble-minded girl be protected. Without this supervision she goes 
back to her original law violations. She becomes the inmate of the 
disorderly resort, the street walker, the woman who comes again and 
again into the police and other courts. She bears feeble-minded 
and diseased children. She scatters venereal diseases through every 



39 

community and if the moron girl is not recognized before puberty 
her fate will almost invariably be the life of the underworld; she 
may and usually does become criminal. In any event she almost cer- 
tainly becomes the mother of defectives. The moron man becomes 
the petty offender against social laws; he may marry, but married 
or not, he certainly becomes the father of other defectives. Both 
help to fill our police courts, jails, reformatories and prisons, costing 
the State a great deal of money that would be better expended in 
keeping them from harm on a colony farm where their employment 
would be of some value to themselves and others. 

Eighty per cent of alms house population in Kentucky are feeble- 
minded. 

The chief menace of the feeble-minded woman in the alms house 
is that she is the potential mother of the feeble-minded child. The child 
of the feeble-minded woman and the alms house man will be for its 
entire life a burden on public charity. There is in almost every com- 
munity in Kentucky a group of feeble-minded families. These families 
are dependent on public charity. THey are also the law-breakers. 
The number of children in these families rapidly increases and the 
new generation is a degree lower in intelligence than the parents. 
These families lay upon the State one of the heaviest burdens which 
it has to bear. They know nothing of law, order or moral and physical 
decency. The children are not only feeble-minded but are often blind, 
crippled, deaf and diseased. Those who are sent to school are a 
constant source of danger to other children. 

In Louisville, a short time ago, one hundred and twenty-six women, 
who were quarantined in the jail, were examined by Captain H. B. 
Cummings, Camp Psychologist at Camp Taylor. The examination of 
these women was made at the request of Surgeon F. D. Fricks, of the 
United States Public Health Service. Of ttfe 126 examined, sixty- 
three were feeble-minded; thirty-three high grade morons, and twenty- 
eight were normal. The mental ages ranged from six years and 
three months to fourteen years and ten months. These women were 
all victims of venereal disease. The point of the situation is, said 
Doctor Fricks, these women are mentally children. They are not 
capable of taking care of themselves and if they are cured of their 
venereal infections they are released only to become diseased again 
and to continue an endless chain of misery for themselves and an 
expense for the county and city. But they are not only an expense, 
they are a danger to the community as they are constantly spreading 
disease. What they need is a suitable place of quarantine where 
they can be cared for properly as feeble-minded or high grade mo- 
rons are cared for. Segregation and permanent control by the State 
on the colony farm is the solution of the question. 

In addition to the examination made of the women in the county 
jail sixty cases were examined by Henrietta V. Race, Director of the 



40 

Psychological Laboratory, administration building, of Louisville Pub- 
lic Schools, with the following results: 

Normal intelligence 8 

Inferior intelligence 8 

High grade morons 9 

Feeble-minded 35 

All of these were brought to Miss Race by the Associated Chari- 
ties. Proper psychological examinations would realize the same de- 
plorable conditions in every community in the State. 

Many States in which training camps were established reported 
increased delinquency among women and girls, invasion by hordes of 
questionable characters from other States and the break down of the 
jail system, due mainly to the inability of local authorities to deal ade- 
quately with the venereally diseased prisoners. Congress has en- 
acted and put in force Federal legislation for protection of soldiers 
and sailors. Municipal and State authorities have co-operated with 
the Federal Government in meeting this situation. South Carolina and 
Michigan have followed Massachusetts in requiring that certain vene- 
really diseased persons shall be quarantined until cured. Minnesota, 
Masachusetts and California have been especially active in measures 
to control venereal disease, a movement that has taken on new life 
now that the American Medical Association, the American Public 
Health Association, and the Army and Navy Departments have de- 
clared that a life of continence is compatible with health. Kentucky 
is co-operating with the Federal Government. South Carolina's legis- 
lature of 1918 established an industrial school for girls and an Insti- 
tution for the feeble-minded with appropriations of $40,000 and $60,000 
respectively. The committee on protective work for girls secured 
$250,000 of Federal funds to be used in providing institutional facili- 
ties for dealing with prostitutes. Minnesota has enacted a law pro- 
viding for the commitment of the feeble-minded to State control, 
whether the alleged feeble-minded person or his relatives desire it 
or not. The measure is designed to protect the community and to 
provide wise and humane care for the mental defectives. 

The United States Public Health Service, in a pamphlet (War on 
Venereal Diseases) says: "Before the war most physicians and pub- 
lic health officers knew that gonorrhea was every year causing blind- 
ness among infants — Miss Linda Neville can tell you about the Ken- 
tucky cases — countless surgical operations on women, and sterility 
in men and women: that syphilis was being transmitted to offspring 
causing physical and mental defectives, that it is a prolific cause of 
locomotor ataxia, paralysis, paresis or softening of the brain, insanity, 
miscarriages, diseases of the heart, blood-vessels and vital organs. But 
generally people did not know these things and few remedial meas- 
ures were taken. The war opened our eyes. The reports of draft 
boards and camp surgeons revealed for the first time clearly the men 



41 

acing seriousness of the venereal problem and the failure of our pre- 
war attitude towards the whole question. 

Diseased prostitutes are the most dangerous carriers; they must 
be quarantined and the community safeguarded against their return 
as prostitutes, First, by means of permanent segregation of the fee- 
ble-minded, and second, by medical treatment and industrial educa- 
tion for the others. 

This is not a job for sentimentalists or fly-by-night enthusiasts. 
It is a task for hard-headed business and professional men and capa- 
ble women. It is a job for citizens who feel responsible for their 
community and their nation in times of peace as well as war. 

Present research has shown that feeble-mindedness is so closely 
linked with the increasingly serious problems of vice, vagabondage, 
pauperism and crime, that some authorities are insisting that as high 
as fifty per cent of all criminals are feeble-minded. In Massachusetts 
Dr. A. Warren Stearns and other psycho-pathologists found evidence 
of feeble-mindedness in fifteen per cent of the inmates of the reform- 
atories for men, twenty-four pr cent of the unfortunates confined in 
the reformatory for women, twenty-three per cent of the criminals in 
the Charleston State prison and over fifty per cent of a large group 
of immoral women. About twenty-five per cent of a thousand delin- 
quent boys and girls in Ohio were found by Dr. Thomas H. Haines 
to be feeble-minded. 

Dr. Bernard Glueck, director of the psychiatric clinic at Sing Sing 
prison, in a mental survey of six hundred consecutive admissions 
to the prison discovered that no less than twenty-eight per cent, of 
the convicts examined had a mentality inferior to that of a twelve year 
old child. Dr. Henry H. Goddard, testing the mentality of one hundred 
children brought on various charges before the juvenile court of 
Newark, New Jersey, found sixty-six per cent, distinctly feeble-minded. 
The same investigator, studying the relationship between alcoholism 
and feeble-mindedness was led to the conclusion that at least twenty- 
five per cent, of drunkards are drunkards because they are feeble- 
minded and unable to control their appetites. Applying the standard 
mental tests to large groups of school children, in many states, mental 
deficiency was found so prevalent that the investigating scientists 
deemed it conservative to affirm that at least two per cent, of school 
children, or one in two hundred of the population are feeble-minded. 
This would give the United States a feeble-minded population of more 
than five hundred thousand. Since feeble-mindedness is inheritable, 
so that a feeble-minded person is likely to have a feeble-minded child, 
even when mated to a person of normal mentality — the gravity of the 
menace thus constituted to the future of the United States is obvious. 

Kentucky should follow the lead of Minnesota and enact a law 
providing for the commitment of all her feeble-minded to State con- 
trol "whether the alleged feeble-minded person or relatives desire it or 



. I 



42 

not." Only in this way can she prevent the increase, and lessen the 
number of her feeble-minded population. 

The United States Public Health Service is becoming thoroughly 
aroused in regard to the menace to the country, threatened by the na- 
tion wide spread of mental defectiveness. 

In the last Public Health Report, February 14th, Surgeon General 
Rupert Blue says: "With the increasing recognition by health authori- 
ties of the significance of mental diseases as a health problem, there 
is a growing demand for assistance in the formulation of a program of 
practicable control and preventive measures which can be inaugurated 
by health administrators. The United States Public Health Service 
plans to carry on as rapidly as funds become available for such purpose 
the following program of activities. Such a program should take into 
consideration: 

A. The most effective means by which the several Government 
agencies can cooperate in studies and investigations of mental hygiene 

B. The problems of better care and treatment of the insane, 
mental defective, and epileptic. 

C. Measures for the prevention of mental disorders. 

So far as these considerations are concerned the studies and in- 
vestigations already made by the Public Health Service indicate the 
following activities as desirable and practicable. 

A.— COOPERATION WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES 

1. In addition to the duties prescribed by law as related to the 
mental examination of arriving aliens, cooperation with the Depart- 
ment of Labor (a) to establish a school for the training of medical 
officers as mental hygienists, (b) to provide facilities for training 
nurses and assistants for duties in mental hygiene work and (c) to 
investigate the care and treatment of insane aliens confined under 
immigration laws in public and private institutions at Government 
expense. 

2 Cooperation with other bureaus of the Treasury Department 
in the mental examination of coastwise pilots, locomotive engineers, 
and train dispatchers as a safeguard to the traveling public. 

3. Cooperation with other departments or bureaus of the Gov- 
ernment to advise practical methods for the mental examination of 
civil employees of the Government with a view to determine their 
fitness for different occupations, 

4. Cooperation with the Department of the Interior in the study 
and prevention of insanity and mental deficiency among the wards 
of the Government, such as Indians, Esquimaux, and other primitive 
races for which the Government is responsible. 

5. Cooperation with the Bureau of Education in division of edu- 
cational methods from the standpoint of mental hygiene. 



6. Cooperation with the Bureau of Education in devising practi- 
cal plans for the establishment of special classes for the training of 
feeble-minded and delinquent children. 

7. Cooperation with the State department of justice and other 
agencies to secure (a) the adoption of a model law providing for the 
early treatment of mental disorders, (b) the enactment of a model 
commitment law, and (c) the establishment of psychiatric pavilions 
in general hospitals. 

8. Cooperation with Federal and State departments of justice to 
secure the establishment of psychiatric clinics in connection with the 
courts to determine the mental status of criminals, dependents, and 
delinquents appearing before the courts. 

B.— PREVENTION. 

1. Cooperation with State and local agencies to secure the adop- 
tion of a law making certain types of mental disorders reportable to 
the health authorities. 

2. Reviewing and publishing State laws of commitment of the in- 
sane and feeble-minded. 

3. Cooperation with the State and other agencies to determine 
the prevalence of the insane, feebleminded, alcoholics and epilep- 
tics. 

4. Investigating the prevalence and the care and the treatment 
of the insane, epileptics, feeble-minded, criminal and dependent 
classes. 

5. Compiling a national reference index of the literature on men- 
ial hygiene. 

6. Investigating mental status in relation to certain constitution- 
al diseases and drug addiction. 

7. Cooperation with the industrial hygiene unit of the United 
States Public Health Service in the studies and investigations of the 
mental status of workmen as related to output, f.tness for the job, 
protection from health and injury hazards, and permanence of em- 
ployment. 

8. Cooperation with the child hygiene unit of the service in the 
study and investigation of insanity in children and of the personality 
of the potentially insane. 

9. Cooperation with the Division of Venereal Diseases in 
studies and investigations of the mental status of prostitutes and of 
the relation of venereal diseases to mental disorder. 

LEGISLATION. 

If the Kentucky Division of the National Council of Defense and 
the Federated Clubs of the State will lend their aid and influence, I 
believe that the next General Assembly can be induced to amend 



44 

the New Feeble-minded Law so as to correct some errors of vital im- 
portance which will mske it almost ideal. 

First of all and most important of all, the Legislature should he 
asked to take such action as will divorce our Charitable Institutions 
entirely and forever from political control. Unless this is done very- 
little, if any, progress can be made toward lessening the number or 
improving the condition of our mentally defective population. Every 
state eleemosynary institution in Kentucky is handicapped by the 
blight of political control. The Board of Control, which under the law 
is supposed to have the entire and supreme management of all these 
institutions, is itself hampered by the same political frost. Ostensi- 
bly it has supreme control of the affairs of the State Hospitals for 
the insane; of the Feeble-Minded Institute and institution; of the 
schools of reform, for the blind, for the deaf and of the penal insti- 
tutions of the State. 

It is supposed to select and appoint superintendents and assist- 
ant physicians; the steward, the receiver for all institutions for 
mental defectives, insane or feeble-minded. It is supposed to select 
the warden and the guards of the penitentiary at Eddyville and of the 
Reformatory at Frankfort. Hypothetically this is true but as a matter 
of fact the Board of Control has no such power or privilege. The Ad- 
ministration alone has the power to make these appointments and 
does make them; it also appoints the members of the Board of Con- 
trol. 

It is encouraging to know that two candidates for Governor and 
one for Lieutenant Governor, have announced in their platform, to 
use, if elected, their influence to have this wrong corrected. 

Mr. Edward W. Hines, Chairman of the Kentucky Council of De- 
fense, in a letter to me says, "I am ready to aid you in any way within 
my power in having our charitable institutions entirely and forever 
divorced from political control." I think the Federated Clubs will also 
aid. Civil service reform — if applied in the selection of the Medical 
Staff of these institutions — would perhaps go far toward accomplish- 
ing this divorce. 

COMMITMENTS. 

Proper examinations by competent psychologists and psychopa- 
thists for diagnosis and to determine consignment to proper institu- 
tions of all mental defectives coming before courts — also for criminal 
delinquents — should be imperative. • The early recognition of mental 
disorders cannot be generally expected until medical schools give 
more attention to them. It is a generally accepted fact that the ma- 
jority of graduates from medical schools have very little, if any, 
knowledge of the nature of mental diseases, because they have had 
little or no opportunity to study this branch of medical science. 



49 

(Suggestion' that psychology and psychopathy should be taught 
in the medical department of the University of Louisville should be 
made.) 

PROVISION FOR NEGRO FEEBLE-MINDED. 

J. L. Kesler, Dean, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, in speaking 
of "The Negro in Relation to our Public Agencies and Institutions," 
says: "The negro problem, public or private, industrial or institu- 
tional, is a human problem. Every injustice to the negro from public 
agency or private is an injury to the white man and imperils the 
best interests of the national life. If the Negro is to be a citizen, 
if he is to live among us, (and we of the South like him, would not 
be without him, and count ourselves his best friends), then we must 
give him a chance, and an equal chance with all others. There are 
men and women who have social sympathies and social interests and 
who take part in and support all agencies and institutions working 
for the welfare of the community life. It is true that we have not 
yet gone far in cooperative social work. The juvenile Negro criminal 
and delinquent girl (the majority of whom are feeble-minded), are 
not sufficiently provided for by either private or public institutions; 
nor is there sufficient provision for the juvenile offender of the white 
race. But the old way of making confirmed criminals out of this raw 
material is to yield to educational and preventive measures. It is 
true also that sanitary prison reforms, settlement work, and public 
welfare enterprises generally have too largely left the Negro out of 
count. Cooperative welfare agencies have made hopeful beginnings, 
however, in Louisville, Nashville, Atlanta, Richmond, Virginia, and a 
few other places. We are beginning to wake up. We are moving 
toward a better day. We are beginning to see that the negro is an 
asset or peril as we help him to rise or let him alone." 

The Negro is well cared for in all our State Hospitals for the In- 
sane, but no provision is made for him in Our Feeble-Minded Institu- 
tion. Is that fair? Is it right? 

OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT SHOULD BE MADE. 

Abolishment of committees and guardians and parole for the 
feeble-minded. To make it the duty of all health officers, district and 
county nurses to report all feeble-minded persons whom they dis- 
cover, to the proper county officials. 

Registration. Make a census as complete as possible, of feeble- 
minded in the State, obtaining all possible light on their family his- 
tories and surroundings. (This should be done by Fiscal Court). 

Registration and examination of all prostitutes — physical and 
mental. 

Dr. Paul E. Powers, who has been doing psychological and psy- 
chopathic work for the Federal Government in the army mobilizing 



and training camps, in his book the "Panwns of Fate," -ays: 
"Chief Justice Keiinington was the lather of the idea that every 
court in the land should have attached to it a psychopathic labora- 
tory where the mentality of criminals is investigated, where, in truth, 
all the factors that plot against man for his downfall, are carefully 
studied. In the court over which he presided the facts of the viola- 
tion of the law were first carefully determined; then the report of the 
medical investigation was submitted to the judge after conviction and 
before sentence was pronounced. This information furnished the 
judge with the knowledge that would enable him to decide whether 
the individual should have a suspended sentence, be sent, to prison, 
to a hospital for the insane or to an institution for the feeble-minded. 
The courts of the big cities recognized The value and justice of this 
judicial reform and established such laboratories. The prisons heard 
the call. Great changes are being worked out in their administration. 
The political grafters, who had so long held sway, are being sent about 
their business and scientific men put in their places. The prisons 
became schools for the training of the hand, head and heart, they 
became hospitals also, where all remedial medical and surgical de- 
fects were taken care of; where prisoners were freed, if possible, of 
their mental and physical burdens; while those w T ho were found to 
be incurably defective, no matter what their crimes might be, great 
or small, were kept in permanent custodial care for their owm benefit, 
and the welfare of society." 

The fact that investigation, made by the Division of Psychology 
of the United States Army, directed by Major Robert M. Yerkes, has 
shown that approximately twenty per cent of the drafted and en- 
listed men that have been mobilized were so inferior mentally and 
physically as to be unfit for regular military service, together with 
the recognition of the wide prevalence of mental defect among con- 
firmed prostitutes — those, therefore most likely to be venerally dis- 
eased—is stimulating the Nation in the movement for provision for 
the feeble-minded. All prostitutes should be transferred to the colony 
farm for health and treatment as well as to prevent their spreading 
venereal diseases. 



Address by Professor George Baker. University of Ken- 
tucky. 

Subject : ■•Educational Bills in Cong] 

One outstanding result of the war is an increased emphasis and 
activity on education both in this country and abroad. The new Eng- 
lish education law providing for compulsory attendance from five to 
fourteen years of age in the public elementary schools is an example 

of a national reawakening to the significance of improved elementary 



educational opportunities. Our 65th Congress lias displayed commend- 
able activity and a commendably broad viewpoint in the matter of 
remedial educational legislation. Many of the present educational 
emphases are obviously a direct outgrowth of the war. 

The outstanding emphases appear to be in the following directions: 

1. Americanization. 

2. Illiteracy. 

3. Vocational rehabilitation of soldiers, sailors and industrial 
workers. 

4. Provision for industrial education especially along the line 
of engineering. 

5. Military training in schools and colleges. 

6. Provisions for an American academy of government and 
diplomacy. 

7. Provisions relative- to improvement of public health. 

8. The creation of National Department of Education. 

9. Provisions for state wide investigation of educational con- 
ditions, looking especially to improvement of rural education. 

10. Provisions for educational extension. 

It is apparent that at least eight or possibly nine of these ten 
emphases are directly the result of the war. 

The most important educational bills now pending in Congress are 
probably the following: 

The Towner Bill (H. R. 15400) to create a National Department 
of Education with an annual appropriation of $100,000,000 to be spent 
as follows: 

$ 7,500,000 for elimination of illiteracy. 
7,500.000 fpr Americanization. 

50,000,000 for public schools. 

20,000,000 for physical and health education. 

15,000,000 for preparation of teachers. 

The Smith Bill (S. 5464) and the Bankhead Bill (H.. R. 15402) to 
remove illiteracy and promote Americanization. 

The Lever Bill (H. R. 14185) to promote the health of rural popu- 
lation of the United States. 

The Sears Bill (H, R« 6387) to promote the improvement of rural 
education. 

The Henderson Bill (S. 5416) to establish engineering experiment 
stations in the States and territories receiving benefits of the Act of 
1862. 

The Swift Bill (H. R. 14292) to establish an American Academy t : 
Government and Diplomacy. 

The Fess Bill (H. R. 7330) to create a National University at 
Washington, D. C. 

All of the above bills, with the possible exception of two, were 
introduced during January. 1919. 



48 

AMERICANIZATION 

The Americanization of our immigrant population has during the 
life of the 65th Congress received repeated attention. Developments 
incident to the war have opened our eyes to the uncomfortable fact 
that, contrary to Israel Zangwill, America has somehow failed to func- 
tion as an efficient "melting pot". As someone has said, our melting 
pot needs skimming. Our sympathies have run away with our common 
sense. We undoubtedly have in the United States among our 13,000,- 
000 foreign born, some millions of people whose viewpoint is decidedly 
un-American, and who have relatively little appreciation of or sympathy 
for American problems. In the words of the King Bill of July, 1918, 
(S. 4792) such bills aim at arousing a higher regard for the privileges 
of American citizenship in the minds of all permanent residents of the 
United States. The two latest bills introduced, January, 1919, on the 
subject of Americanization are the Hoke Smith Bill in the Senate 
(S. 5464) and the Bankhead Bill in the House (H. R. 15402). The pre- 
amble of these bills is identical and in the following words: "To pro- 
mote the education of native illiterates, of persons unable to under- 
stand and use the English language, and of other resident persons of 
foreign birth; to provide for co-operation with the States in the educa- 
tion of such persons in the English language, the fundamental prin- 
ciples of government and citizenship, the elements of knowledge per- 
taining to self-support and home making, and in such other work as 
will assist in preparing such illiterates and foreign-born persons for 
successful living and intelligent American citizenship". These bills 
provide for an appropriation of $5,000,000 for 1919, and $12,500,000 
until 1921. 

The Towner Bill introduced January 30, 1919 (H. R. 15400) carries 
an annual appropriation of $7,500,000 for Americanization. 

ILLITERACY 

The organization of the American army thru the first selective 
draft revealed the fact that an astonishing number of the men were 
illiterate, namely 700,000 between the ages of twenty-one and thirty- 
one. The percentage of illiteracy in the first draft ran from fourteen 
per cent, in South Dakota to forty-six per cent, in Pennsylvania. The 
Kentucky percentage ran from thirty to thirty-five. The second draft 
would no doubt have revealed far greater numbers of illiterates. The 
Smith Bill of March, 1918 (S. 4185) aims at requiring the National 
Commissioner of Education to devise methods and promote plans for 
the elimination of adult illiteracy in the United States, providing an 
appropriation for the same. This bill is still pending. The Smith- 
Bankhead Bill previously outlined, aims at promoting the education of 
native illiterates as well as of foreign immigrants. The Towner Bill 
carries an annual appropriation of $7,500,000 for the elimination of 
illiteracy. The James Bill (S. 3704) aims to create a commission oe 
illiteracy to be known as the American Illiteracy Commission. 



49 

VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION 

The most important bill relating to vocational rehabilitation was 
the Smith-Sears Act introduced in April, 1918, by Senator Hoke Smith. 
This bill passed the Senate on May 25th and the House on June 10th 
unanimously. The act delegates to the Federal Board for Vocational 
Education the duty of re-educating the disabled men in some useful 
employment of which they shall be deemed capable of following with 
profit. While the men are taking the special courses compensation 
will be allowed them and family allowances will be paid their families 
precisely as if the men were still in active service. At the conclusion 
of the course agencies will be ready for assistance in the placement 
of the re-educated men in civil life. In September, 1918, Mr. Bankhead 
introduced a bill (H. R. 12880) to provide for the promotion of voca- 
tional rehabilitation. This bill provided an appropriation of $500,000 
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1919; $750,000 for the year 1920 and 
annually thereafter the sum of $1,000,000; said sum shall be allotted 
to the States in the proportion which their population bears to the 
total population of the United States; the allotment funds to any state 
shall not be less than $5,000 for any fiscal year; the state shall raise 
an amount equal to the Federal appropriation. 

INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION 

Engineering appears to be receiving greater emphasis in the 65th 
Congress than any other line of industrial education. The Henderson 
Bill of January, 1919, (S. 5416) aims to establish engineering experi- 
ment stations for the purpose of further developing the college in 
each state and territories now receiving benefits of the Act of 1862, 
and for the purpose of developing the natural resources of the United 
States as a measure of industrial, military and naval preparedness. 
Outside of bills related to specific states, there seems to be no bill 
dealing with agricultural training. 

MILITARY TRAINING 
The Sears Bill of April, 1918 (H. R. 11189), aims to promote mili- 
tary training by providing scholarships for students enrolled in in- 
stitutions of higher learning. This bill was still pending last January- 

ACADEMY OF GOVERNMENT AND DIPLOMACY 

The Swift Bill of January, 1919, (H. R. 14292) seeks to establish 
the American Academy of Government and Diplomacy, to be located 
in the District of Columbia. The objects of this academy are to pro- 
mote the science of government and the knowledge of international 
law and diplomacy. The academy shall be under the immediate juris- 
diction of a Board of Governors composed of fifteen members, includ- 
ing the President and Vice President of the United States and the Sec- 
retary of State. 



PUBLIC HEALTH 

In January, 1919, the Lever Bill (H. R. 14185) was introduced to 
provide that the United States shall co-operate with the States in 
promoting the health of the rural population of the United States. 
For the purpose of this -act the term rural health work shall he con- 
strued to include such methods and means as may he appropriate for 
the prevention, control, and mitigation of diseases. Liberal appro- 
priations are provided. The Towner Bill introduced January 30, 1919, 
(H. R. 15400) carries an annual appropriation of $20,000,000 for physi- 
cal and health education. The need for public health work was 
brought home to the country at large by the fact that an alarming 
per cent, of the men examined in the draft were found to be physically 
unfit for service. 

NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

On January 30, 1919, Mr. Towner, of Iowa, introduced a bill (H. R. 
15400) to create a National Department of Education, and to authorize 
appropriations for the conduct of said department. This bill is sub- 
stantially the same as that previously introduced by Senator Hoke 
Smith, of Georgia, and known as the Smith Bill or the N. E. A. Bill. 
This bill was introduced at the request of the American Federation 
of Labor, the American Federation of Teachers and the National 
Education Association. It appropriates $100,000,000 annually to be 
divided as follows: 

$ 7,500,000 for elimination of illiteracy. 
7,500,000 for Americanization. 

50,000,000 for public schools. 

20,000,000 for physical and health education. 

15,000,000 for preparation of teachers. 

The appropriation of $50,000,000 for public schools is to be used 
for 'the.. partial payment of teachers' salaries, providing better instruc- 
tion, extending school terms and for improving rural schools. 

The Secretary of Education, who is to be the Head of the Depart- 
ment; is to be appointed by the President with the advice of the Senate, 
and shall receive $12,000 per annum, and whose tenure of office shall 
be like that of the heads of other executive departments. This bill 
transfers the Bureau of Education to the Department of Education, 
thus giving education recognition in the President's cabinet on a par 
with/ the other executive departments. 

EDUCATIONAL INVESTIGATION 

In June, 1918, Mr. Husted introduced a joint resolution in the 
House, which is still pending, to provide for a commission to inquire 
into the condition of public education in the several States and to 
recommend such measures as it may deem advisable for the improve- 
ment of same. 



51 



RURAL EDUCATION 



The Towner Bill (H. R. 15400) appropriates $50,000,000 to encour- 
age the Slates in the equalization of educational opportunities, espec- 
ially in the sparsely settled localities. The Sears Bill (H. R. 6387) 
aims to promote the improvement of rural education. This bill appro- 
priates $275,000 annually to he used by the Bureau of Education for 
the study and improvement of rural education. 



TUESDAY EVENING SESSION. 

Hon, James D. Black, Lieutenanl Governor of Kentucky., 

Presiding. 

Address by •;., Field Secretary of War Camp 

Community .Service New York City. 

Subject: " Community Organization." 

The call for community organization and for community service 
has been answered throughout this country- To win the War, com- 
munities were organized into community groups for community ser- 
vice; food, fuel and child conservation; Red Cross and United War 
Work campaigns; Liberty Loan and War Saving Stamps drives; War 
Camp Community Service; and the like. 

Perhaps the finest benefit that has come from the War has been 
the development of this national volunteer service by the whole people 
of the coniimunities. This war was in good part won not by armies 
but by nations; not by soldiers but by civilians. The huge organized 
army of civilian volunteers that got back of the government mandates 
made the early winning of this war possible. 

If this war is to be worth while, we must conserve and continue 
this splendid development in our national and communal life — com- 
munity organization and community service. We must preserve this 
wonderful spirit of co-operation, sacrifice and patriotism. We must 
not lose this potential force for great good to meet the perplexing 
problems of the future. The need for patriotism in peace is greater 
than the need for patriotism in war. 

There is a universal demand for community organization. Uni- 
versities and colleges are creating departments of community organi- 
zation; national, state and local governments are propaganding fojj its 
continuation; councils of defence and other agencies are asking- for 
the creation of community councils; churches and other societies are 
talking in terms of community service; schools and social agencies are 
advocating the wider use of public facilities. Chambers of Commerce, 
Boards of Trade, Rotary Clubs, Women's Clubs, Labor Unions, Frater- 
nal Organizations, etc., are thinking m terms of community service. 



52 

Besides being organized for a specific purpose, all of these organiza- 
tions can be utilized for civic welfare and together they can do much 
in community organization to make our towns and cities decent places 
to live in as well as to work in. All of these organizations have a 
civic value that can be utilized in the common interest of the whole 
community. 

• One of the finest "Win the War" agencies created by the Govern- 
ment is the War Camp Community Service — an agency, not an organ- 
ization, established by the War and Navy Departments to co-ordinate, 
mobilize and stimulate local communities — the people and organiza- 
tions — to surround the camps with hospitality and to create commun- 
ity team work so as to best serve the soldiers. This agency was to 
be the community itself, forming a clearing house whereby the in- 
dividuals and organizations would work together in an efficient, 
smooth and unified manner for the welfare of the camp and the com- 
munity. It was not a parallel war organization in the community but 
rather the coming together of the war work service into a common 
program to minister the total community goodwill to the camp and 
to the soldier. 

The achievements of this "war agency" is one of the illuminating 
pages in the war record of this country. The list of four hundred dif- 
ferent activities is a revelation in concrete achievement as to what 
communities have done and can do with a unified program and com- 
mon effort. Through community executive boards and central coun- 
cils, composed of leading key men and women, and operating through 
existing organizations, a well rounded program of community hos- 
pitality, education, information, recreation, and service was readily 
accomplished. 

Some of the impressions and experiences of this agency, operat- 
ing in about five hundred American communities, large and small, 
with a large staff of trained men and women skilled in community or- 
ganization service, might prove of value. In the first place, it was 
recognized that community organization must be democratic; that is, 
it must be "of, by and for the people." Secondly, it was realized that 
the community from one point of view was divided into three parts: — 
(1) the community organization as seen in the city government in the 
city hall; city government after all is an example of community co- 
operation. (2) The organized civic groups doing community ser- 
vice for a specific purpose, such as, Boards of Trade, Chambers of 
Commerce, Women's Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Civic Leagues, etc. (3) The 
people themselves — the unorganized individuals to be gathered into 
volunteer groups at the school or the block party, etc. 

In community organization, the active participation of the de- 
partments of city government, such as School, Health, Recreation, 
etc., are essential to the successful completion of any community pro- 
gram. In fact, the Schools and Playgrounds, as neighborhood centers, 
offer one of the finest mediums to organize the great mass of unat- 



53 

tached volunteers. Any complete community program, therefore, will 
include an intensive development of the schoolhouse and the play- 
grounds as a community neighborhood center where the people may 
meet, organize, discuss and do community service. One is familiar 
with the splendid work accomplished at Gary, Indiana; Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin, and by the South Park Playground System, of Chicago, 
Illinois. The utilization of the school building for community organi- 
zation and community service is not a new thought. For the past 
decade we have some remarkable demonstrations along this line 
throughout the country. However, the development of the school 
house as a social center is an integral part of the complete com- 
munity program; it is a means to an end. It is a big part in a bigger 
program. . Another community manifestation along efforts to de- 
velop the communal life among the people as a whole, is the inter- 
esting social unit system as established in thirty-one blocks in Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. The block parties in Jersey and New York and the 
block neighborhood councils as established by W. C. C. S. in New 
^ork City are also efforts in this direction as are the community coun- 
cils now being established in a few cities. These later efforts, how- 
ever, are all experimental and the final verdict is yet to be rendered. 
All these efforts are in recognition of the fact that any complete 
scheme of community organization must include the mass of the 
people and get down into the homes and the neighborhoods. 

However, it is easy to recognize that no community organization 
or service could be successful without including a recognition of the 
necessity of providing a clearing house whereby the organized civic 
organization Sn would get together on a common plan. In fact, the mass 
of the people are members of some one or more of these community 
civic groups, so' by getting together they represent most of the peo- 
ple in the community. 

In a way a community has longitudinal and latitudinal lines. 
Longitudinal lines represent the organized community work being 
Gone by the different organizations. The latitudinal lines are the 
civic interests or subjects that these different organizations cover, 
such as commercial, religious, fraternal, athletic, women, etc. That 
is. the Chamber of Commerce or Board of Trade is a community 
organization with a community purpose organized for a specific civic 
interest — commercial and business. This is its primary interest, 
but it touches the other community organizations, for it is interested 
in good schools, playgrounds, health, and morals. A Chamber of 
Commerce, however, is only one of the longitudinal lines in a com- 
munity. It does not represent the whole community in all its interests. 
The Federation of Churches is another civic organization with a com- 
munity program to unite the religious interests of the whole com- 
munity. However, it only represents the united religious community 
effort — it does not represent the commercial or business interests for 



5 i 

the Chamber of Commerce takes care of this. Nor does the Chamber 
esent (he united community effort along religious 
lines, Women's Clubs represent a strong civic force. They do not 
represent the whole community, but they do represent the organized 
women power in that community for civic effort. The fraternal orders 
represent the organized social life and fraternal life of a community, 
but this does rot represent the organized , community life in those 
community efforts fostered by the Chamber, of Commerce, Women's 
Clubs. Athletic Associations. Y. M. and Y. W. C. A.'s. Civic Leagues, 
etc. Real community organization vvould.be the pooling of these or- 
ganizations — general civic interests of these organizations — into a com- 
mon community interest united in action and program. All these or- 
ganizations touch many common mutual interests, such as community 
singing, community hospitality, community pageants, community in- 
formation, community athletics, community good. will. They need a 
clearing house by which they can express a common esprit du corps 
ic the interest of these mutual problems. 

A community like an individual represents many motives; t for 
instance, the city government does not represent' all, ' but it does 
the organized governmental civic effort. In this it follows the motive 
of self-preservation. We have a police force, fire, health, education 
and other governmental departments as a 'mutual protective society. 
However, all of us are more than merely taxpayers and, fortunately 
Dr unfortunate!}', little part of our daily lives, is given to our "city 
government. In fact. most, of the lime of most of the people is 
found in another, second great motive that actuates the individual 
as well as the community. The interests of an individual are cen- 
tered in his job, his business, his home, his school, his fraternal order, 
his church, his board of trade, his labor councils. Here we find 
most of the time of most of the people. /Phis is the production or oc- 
cupational motive. It is a large one in the life of an individual and a 
community and any true cooperative community movement must rec- 
ognize the necessity of bringing into common play this occupational 
motive and merge it into the interest of the Commonwealth. 

Then there is the other large motive that dominates the interest 
of individuals and communities — the motive for culture, self-improve- 
ment, public welfare. So w'e have civic organizations, as tor in- 
stance, Women's Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Fraternal Orders, Philanthropic 
Societies that look after the community development of this third 
motive. As the city government takes care of the first motive of 
self-preservation and represents the clearing house in this, and as the 
Chamber of Commerce and Labor Couneih? take care of the second 
motive of production, so there is a need of a clearing house to co- 
ordinate and mobilize ay efforts of individuals and organizations 
that pertain to the third motive of community 'welfare. Such a clear- 
ing house should not be a parallel to existing civic organization but 




an agency composed of the whole community. It is not a superposed 
organization but a clearing house for all — not asking service but 
giving service. This point is important. It is not a round table 
organization to get together and centralize service, but to decen- 
tralize service. Service is the keynote and touchstone. 

Therefore, a community organization must include (1) the or- 
ganized city government efforts that touch the public welfare along 
lines of the third motive; (2) the organized community civic groups; 
(3) the mass of the people through the school, playground, neighbor 
hood, etc., social unit groups, etc. This total effort is the community 
itself. It is of, for and by the community. 

Democracy, however, connotes leadership. Our whole government 
illustrates this. Democracy in order not to be anarchy — bolshevikism 
or mob rule — must have intelligent leadership and a common program 
Otherwise it means mob rule' and drift instead of civic cooperation 
and mastery. In fact, when you say community organization — 
organization means program and administration and these latter mean 
healthful leadership. Our community school program does not run 
itself. We have schools, social center departments with skilled paid 
leaders in charge. Chambers of Commerce do not run themselves, 
but have boards of directors and secretaries. In our own city gov- 
ernment we are recognizing more and more the need of special train- 
ing in city management. Our democratic social unit experiments are 
conducted by funds and paid leaders. Community organization predi- 
cates a program and a program predicates administration and admin- 
istration means some one on the job all the time. What is every- 
body's businesSj is nobody's business. 

Program, propaganda, and good will alone will not continue com- 
munity organization or give community service. Too many com- 
munity efforts have been started but have died early deaths because 
no one was on the job to carry the program through to completion. 
The need for the .highest type of leadership is great in community 
organization. The qualities for success are numerous. Such a man 
or woman is not the community leader but the community servant, 
who should be on the job continually suggesting, helping and serving. 
Such a man would be a civic bishop or a spiritual mayor. He is the 
man who would put unity into community. The work is not to be done 
by a paid force or by a community organizer, which is a poor title, but 
by the community itself. , Leadership is a misnomer. It means work- 
ing with rather than for a community. 

Community organization is simply a League of folks. The spirit 
should be ''get-togetherness," just folks coming together to help and 
understand on| another and meet common problems. There is need of 
this coming together- because our communities will face in the next 
generation big problems that must be faced by all as a unit. The 
backwash of the war is yet to come and must be largely faced by 



56 

the communities. The community is to be tested in the future. The 
community is the unit that must meet the coming situations caused by 
the war. The home and the neighborhood may meet personal social 
interests but the community must meet the common interest of all. 
It is in the community that the individual expresses his citizenship, 
his occupational and his patriotic relationships. 

Practically every organization in a community next to a camp 
was interested in soldiers and was ready to serve them, so there was 
need for a clearing house by which every individual and organiza- 
tion could efficiently express its hospitality and good will. So the 
city government and the different civic groups and volunteers were 
brought together through executive boards and community councils 
with representative key men aid women who made it possible for 
the whole community to function as a unit. Hence an inclusive 
community program was fostered. The Chamber of Commerce, the 
churches, the schools, the labor unions, women's clubs, the libraries 
and all other organizations were asked to take a part in the program 
that they could best do. Then the group did those things that con>- 
cerned all, such as community sings, community information, com- 
munity girls' work, community hospitality, community pageants, com- 
munity parades, etc. In this way friction, overlapping and duplica- 
tion was avoided. Good will and team work were engendered. It was 
found that after each organization did its part well there was 
still common ground on which they could all meet, in which they 
were all interested and in which they all must pool their common 
interests. 

War camp community* service has demonstrated that there is no 
panacea for community organization. Each community must develop 
its own form of organization and service. There is no single agency 
that can settle all of the community problems. The bringing together 
of. all groups and interests mentioned at a round table, with good 
will, a common program, a recognition of each one's part in the 
program, a mutual respect and understanding is the beginning for 
real community organization. It recognizes the principle that no one 
of the existing civic organizations in a community can handle the 
whole program, but an agency representing all as a clearing house 
can at least be the start toward common effort. 

A community is a blend, a mixture of many motives and interests. 
These motives and interests must be utilized to a common purpose 
and merge into a common program. Real community organization 
will bring about a proper blending of all these motives, associations 
ai:d interests described in this paper, that will give the true blend of 
community good will. Community organization is largely a matter of 
the spirit; it is psychological — an attitude of mind. It recognizes the 
fact that a city is not a place of streets, buildings and factories, but 
rather a place of people — of folks. Take the folks away and let the 




57 

treets. buildings and factories remain and you will have no city. So 
community organization must be based on the fact that a community 
ii a place to live in as well as to work in. 

Community organization of whatever type must be a democratic 
effort by which all the people may get together to express themselves 
for their mutual benefit. It must be the means by which the pooling 
c£ personal and civic interests into a common whole is possible. It 
means team work. It is a means, not an end; a means by which the 
community may find itself and express its personality. Communities 
have souls — community organization! is a way to save the souls of com- 
munities. 

The three big obstacles to successful community organizations are 
the three old enemies: (1) the old "laissez faire," conservative, 
reactionary doctrine; (2) the modern bolsheviki, who pleads for de- 
mocracy that wbuld mean anarchy. There is great danger in this 
second because in pleading for democracy they do not recognize the 
need for leadership; (3) the third obstacle is that the personal pro- 
noun "I" — egotism and personal jealousies — does much to prevent the 
successful fruition of a community program. In brief, conservatism, 
faddism and selfishness can do much to defeat community organiza- 
tion. Service, good will, and sacrifice are the three winning graces. 

Community organization to be successful must be democratic — 
of, for and by the people. It must be an agency, not an institution. 
It must have a program of service. It must have a public servant 
who will carry such a program of service to successful com- 
pletion. There is need of such a community organization to meet 
the common problems of readjustment. As Governor Manning, of 
South Carolina, says: "Unless we as a people are able to consecrate 
our best efforts, our unselfish endeavors, our moral, spiritual and ma- 
terial forces to -the ways and purposes of peace, as we have dedicated 
these to the winning of the war, we shall fail to hold much for which 
we have fought." 

The great difficulty to properly discuss this topic is one of 
terminology. Words confuse as well as they clear thoughts. There 
h much in this brief article that ought to have been modified, 
abridged or amplified, but time and space prevented. 

The call for community organization and service is heard every- 
where. It must be answered soon and concretely. There is no 
"cure-all." There is no universal community organization recipe 
that will apply to every community. However, Wai Camp Community 
Service has been an agency that has gone into five hundred communi- 
ties and has developed a community program, a community purpose 
and a community esprit du corps. It has been a means by which 
communities have expressed their hospitality, good will, and soul. 
With the Christian doctrine of service and the democratic principle 






and by the people," War immunity Service has 

rmnity organization. This agencyipoinjts the way to the 

J:, peace as well as in war. community 
ice helps to make the world safe for democracy. 



Address by Dr. Henr ikson, United States Bureau of 

Education. 

j Subject: "The Practice of Citizenship." 
Ladies and Gentlemen: 

To achi itizenship;" to Testore and preserve gov- 

- the vec for the people;" to de- 

lto little democracies with school houses 

for their eapitols; to organize communities on *the : basis of citizenship 

to put human rights above property rights" as our boys in the 

if France did; to ethical standards to politics and 

economics; to enlarge the average man's .opportunities and his 

:o appreciate them; to make social, political and economic 

- to be of such a at all citizens,- both native and 

foreign born, when speaking of the United States^ may say "my 

count] ;hey may say it not only with 

a degree of enthusiasm as to be willing to 

put the interests of "m : ~ the interests of "myself" 

— nothing less than this, as 1 is the ultimate purpose of 

the community center movement. It is a movement in constructive 

democracy. 

The war has clothec lent with a fresh interest and a 

r 

The fundamental challenge which the war has 

ful people is the need of organizing human life on 

extraction of a better sort of world. 

m gave us a . ?ious freedom : 

French Revolution gave us a star = political freedom; the 

present world tragedy is giving gger start towards eco- 

.. In our attei meet the opportunity with which 

the war's challenge confront have already discovered that no 

will answer because the disease lies too deep. We 

covered the futility of attem] purify the water in a 

veil by paiz ting the- pump. We must go deeper for our remedy. 

It is my purpose to give a bird's-eye view of some of the com- 

ty* uses of the school house, as means for achieving democracy's 

For this instrument ready made to our hand is most available 

practice of citizenship. Like all great discoveries the com- 

ise of the school house grew out of a conscious and profound 

need. Rauschenbusch calls the appropriation of the school house for 



more varied purposes a master stroke of the new democracy. It is 
tLe only democratic .institution existing in America, r. on-sectarian, 
non-partisan, and non-exclusive. It furnishes the only platform on 
which all the people can meet. It is our foremost industry from 
whatever standpoint it is regarded, with its 22,000,000 girls and boys, 
600,000 school teachers. 277.000 school buildings, $1,347,000,000.00 in- 
vested in property Ind $75,000,000.00 annually spent for its support. 
It is the most American institution, the greatest 'American invention, 
and the m cessful social enterprise yet undertaken by any 

nation.. Nevertheless, its ■ golden age lies before it, not behind it. 
It is no'w entering upon a new era in its already notable history, an 
era which will' witness its vastly increased usefulness to our experi- 
ment in democracy, an experiment which depends for its success more 
on the free public school than upon any other single factor. 

In attempting to state in brief a subject so big, one must needs 
have what- the poet Keats calls "negative capabilities." He must know 
what to leave in the ink stand, what to leave unsaid. A bird's-eye 
view of the facts may be had if we group them under the use of the 
school house as a community capitol, a community forum, and a 
neighborhood club. 

A COMMUNITY CAPITOL, 

The school house as the community capitol obviously means that 
it shall be Used as the polling place. It ought to be so used for eco- 
nomic' reasons aione. Why should we rent special buildings, when we 
already own school ^houses 'conveniently located in every district? 
lfyoting precincts so far a's' possible were made identical with school 
districts;' if the School "houses were used as polling places-; if the 
e^ectidn. machinery were simplified and if school teachers were em- 
ployed as election 'officers, because they have the required intelligence 
and are already public officials, every state in the union would save 
many thousands of dollars annually. But we ought to use the school 
house as the polling place, not only -for economic reasons, which is of 
the least importance, but especially for the sake of the ideal which 
the ballot box represents. It is the symbol of our membership in 
America. -It, is a sacred 'symbol. During the last campaign candi- 
date Hughes voted in a laundry in New York City, and President Wil- 
son voted in a fire house in Princeton. Barber shops, livery stables, 
any old place is regarded good enough for voting purposes. Is such 
a place' a fitting place in which to exercise the highest duty and 
function of American citizenship? The ballot box is our Ark of the 
Covenant and just as the Ark of the Covenant, whioh was the sym- 
bol of the Hebrew Republic, was given a place in the Holy of the 
Holies in the national temple, so our-ballot ought to be given a place 
befitting its importance. : The one fitting place for it is the public 
school, which is the temple of democracy. 



60 

The ballot box and voting booth ought to be made decorative and 
kept permanently in the school house, because of the permanent ideal 
which they embody. It would be kept to make vivid the function of 
the school. "The walls of Sparta are built of Spartans," sang an 
old poet. The walls of America are built of Americans and the public 
school is the factory in" which they are produced. The public school's 
function is to make not merely good men and women but good citizens 
for the republic. The great need of our American democracy is that 
in every school district the public school shall be developed into a 
worthy university of the people, which shall confer citizenship as a 
degree upon those who in this school shall have made themselves fit 
to receive it. As soon as we put this fact in the foreground, we set 
in operation a formative principle whose effect on the school will be 
reforming and vitalizing. Because we shall be compelled to ask the 
further question, what kind of studies ought the curriculum to con- 
tain; what kind of studies are most worth while in the process of 
making citizens. The three unsettled questions which the schools are 
always debating are the content of the curriculum, the method of 
teaching and business management. The new question concerning 
the use of the school house as the community capitol will shed more 
illumination on these three problems than anything else has yet done. 
It will insure a wise solution of them. It will wed the processes of 
the school to patriotism and to practical human needs. It will save 
the school from the blight of professionalism which is the most 
deadly enemy. This fact can best be stated in brief by employing an 
illustration. 

It has ever offered much interesting speculation and much amuse- 
ment to ask and discuss the question what would modern educational 
experts have made of Lincoln, if, as a baby, he had been put in their 
care. "They would have started him on sterilized milk, clothed him 
in disinfected garments, sent him to kindergarten, where he would 
have learned to weave straw mats and sing the 'Blue Bird and 
the Branch.' Then the dentist would have straightened his teeth, 
the oculist would have fitted him with glasses, and in the primary 
grades he would have been taught by pictures and diagrams the dif- 
ference between a cow and a pig, and, thru nature study he would 
have learned that the catbird did not lay kittens. By the time he was 
eight he would have become a 'young gentleman,' at ten he would have 
known more than the old folks at home; at twelve or fourteen he 
would have taken up manual training, and within two years have 
made a rolling pin and tied it with a blue ribbon. In the high, 
school at sixteen, he would have learned in four years that Mars was 
the reputed son of Juno, and to recite a stanza from "The Lady of 
the Lake.' Then to college, where he would have joined the Glee 
Club and a Greek letter fraternity, smoked, cigarettes and graduated, 
and never have done anybody any harm. Well, perhaps, we don't 



61 

know and can't tell what might have been, but we can't help feeling 
thankful that Lincoln's training and education were left to Nancy 
Hanks — and God." 

To give the ballot box ani honored place in the school as the 
symbol of its chief function, to wed the school to patriotism, will 
keep its processes sane, and in turn will help to purify politics. Our 
purpose is not to bring politics into the schools, but to bring the 
schools into politics, and give to them the commanding influence in 
public affairs they were designed to exercise. 

A COMMUNITY FORUM. 

The use of the school house as a forum is the next logical step 
to take after it has been made the community capitol. In every 
state constitution provision has been made for a capitol building, in 
which the representatives of the people can meet to debate public 
questions and to vote on public policies, but the only place they 
provide, in which the people themselves may meet, is "in a peaceable 
manner." The humor of this omission would be refreshing if it were 
not so serious. "A popular government without popular information 
or the means of acquiring it," said Madison, "is but a prologue to a 
farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern 
ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must 
arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." We have 
adopted universal manhood suffrage in America. This may have been 
a blunder or it may not. At any rate it is a fact and nothing is so 
convincing as a fact. Inasmuch as there has been placed in the hands 
of every average man, and many average women, the ballot through 
which public, policies are determined and public officials elected, it 
is of primary importance that a means be provided for the discussion 
of public questions so that they may educate themselves by going to 
school to'one another and equip themselves to vote intelligently. 
"For no man has a right to take part in governing others who has 
not the intelligence or moral capacity to govern himself." This is 
the practical and philosophical ground on which the necessity for 
a community forum rests. It is an open meeting conducted by citizens 
themselves for the discussion of social, political, economic or any other 
questions, which concern the common welfare. 

"There are two ways to govern a community," said Lord Macaulay, 
in the British Parliament. "One is by the sword; the other is by 
public opinion." Ours is a government by public opinion. It is 
obvious that the welfare of a democracy requires that public opinion 
be informed and educated. The greatest danger to a democracy 
is that the forces which control public opinion should be corrupted at 
their source. The pulpit and press are moulders of public opinion 
but they are no longer dependable. We must establish public free 
forums undominated by private interests. If it is right for the state 



6 ' 

to spend money to provide polling places, it is just as right and even 
more necessary for the state to spend money for forums in which 
citizens may fit the to vote intelligently. In his remarkable 

hook, "Physics and Politics," Walter Bagehot devotes a chapter to 
•'"Government by Discussion," in which he convincingly demonstrates 
its essential value to all free governments. 

This being the nature and purpose of the forum, it follows that 
its basic principle must be freedom of thought and freedom in its ex- 
pression. The forum is organized on the basis of difference, not agree- 
ment. It aims not at uniformity but at unity. It is not only a stupid 
world, where all think alike, but there can be little or no progress if we 
listen only to those with whom we agree. It is significant that our word 
misunderstanding has become a synonym for quarrels, whereas most 
of our quarrels would be found to involve not a fundamental difference 
but just a failure to understand each other. 

Inasmuch as men, who do not agree with each other, have to work 
with. each other in life's activities, it is obviously important that they 
should try to understand each other. The Christian ought to under- 
stand the agnostic and the agnostic the Christian; the Roman Cath- 
olic the Protestant, and the Protestant the Roman Catholic; the Demo- 
crat the Republican, and the Republican the Democrat; the capi- 
talist the laborer, and the laborer the capitalist. These classes usually 
associate only with members of their own class, and read only their 
sectarian or partisan newspapers. They are provincially-minded. 
We are, of course, under no obligation to agree with each other, but 
as members of America it is our moral and patriotic dut}' to under- 
stand each other. For there is no hope of peace and cooperation in a 
democracy unless men have the right to think for themselves, unless 
they agree to disagree agreeably, and unless they try to understand 
each other. 

The forum furnishes the means for mutual understanding. It aims 
to create public-mindedness. Its success depends on our ability to 
differ in opinion without differing in feeling. There is no way of 
acquiring this habit except through practice. The forum invites us 
to have the courage to be honest, the courtesy to be gentlemen and 
to say to our neighbors, just because they are our neighbors, what 
Paul said to the Christians of the first c "Therefore putting 

aside lying let us speak truth every man with his neighbor, for we 
are members one of auother." 

Undoubtedly, where freed* lermitted, there is con- 

stant danger that erroneous opinions 3d. It is one of 

the risks which the exercise of liberty necessarily involves. But then 
it is more dangerous for them not to find expression. Exposure to 
fresh air is the best cure for mental as well r sical diseases. 

Thus freedom furnishes Its own antidote to this danger. Jefferson well 
stated it when lie said: "Erro inion ma? be tolerated when rea- 



son is combat it." It is highly important to understand .that 

the right to preach truth is in danger whenever the right to preach 
error is denied. It ought to be obvious that the right of free speech 
cannot be maintained and indeed does not exist unless we agree to 
grant complete freedom of speech without any censorship whatever 
?ndence on the operation of Jefferson's principle a-s 
the ci The truth needs no* apol- 

ogist and no defender; it needs only a free field and no favors. TJie 
man who rejects Jefferson's principle is a skeptic and an atlrefet. 
He ii- of the very truth he 

seeks to defend \)y force; he has no e in the God of .Truth. 

It may a free discussion of vital* ques- 

_ rum, held on a certain 
i of Nazareth, where laymen 
made some remarks on 
jaused a disturbance; indeed 
his workingman almost lost his. life. 
But there is no man who is acquainted with history and certainly 
no Christian, who regret e synagogue was organized as a forum 

and that this particular speech was made on this particular occasion. 
For the speaker's name was Jesus and the speech was his inaugural 
address in a public career more helpful to the world than that of any 
other man. If there are any who do not wish disturbance there is 
only one place. as I know, where they can be assured of quief,. 

It is the graveyard. Wherever there is life there is growth, and 
growth means disturbance, especially if it is growth towards democ- 
racy and towards a saner aud .raster social order. 

A NEIGHBORHOOD CLU3. 

Wl the use of the school house 

polling place and as a forum that it belongs to them and not 

the school board, they are then prepared to inaugurate its use as a 

:.: illy noted that the com- 
k nor an uplift movement nor a social 
[ a patronizing effort to 
give people wh ie cowardly attempt 

ve people what the; the neighborly desire to assist 

ught to want. Democracy is the organiza- 
tion of society friendship and this is the key to -the 
comi 

When the community use of ! has been organized 

then we are prepared to undertake all sorts of activ- 
be described as social, such as 
community dinners, m; r als, folk singing, especially sing- 

ing, which is the most tid most spirited of all the arts. 



64 

The object of these activities is to promote a better acquaintance 
and the spirit of good will. A friend said to Charles Lamb, "Come 
here. I want to introduce you to Mr. A." Lamb replied, with his char- 
acteristic stammer: "No, thank you," "Why not?" "I don't like him." 
"Don't like him? But you don't know him." "That's the reason why I 
don't like him." The community center operates on the conviction 
that antagonisms among men are destroyed by better acquaintance. 

Some of its activities may be described as recreational, such as 
dances, games, motion pictures, community dramas, especially the 
drama, which is "the ritual of the religion of democracy." The object 
of these activities is to meet the need for fair play and the hunger for 
joy, a need every day more keenly felt under the monotonous grind of 
our machine age. Aside from the necessary relief which play brings 
its moral and educational value is as great as that of work, and some- 
times greater. The community center proceds on the assumption that 
the playground is as important as the school room, that play is 
re-creation as well as recreation, that it is needed by all alike and 
that the leisure problem is as urgent as the labor problem. 

Some of these activities may be described as educational, such 
as courses of lectures on scientific and literary subjects, the Ameri- 
canization of immigrants, a branch library, a savings bank. The ob- 
ject of these activities is mutual aid in self-development which is 
one of President Wilson's definitions of democracy. The com- 
munity center is guided by the principle that education is a life pro- 
cess, that it can be secured only through self-activity and that it ought 
to be acquired not apart from but thru one's daily vocation. When 
the people of any community perceive the formative principle that the 
school house belongs to them and that education is not limited to 
book learning, then the way is at once opened to the community use 
of the school house for every kind of cooperative enterprise designed 
to meet human needs, provided it is never for profit but for the com- 
mon welfare. It is my conviction that the time is not far distant when 
the schools everywhere will be used not only to inspire cooperation 
in buying and selling the necessities of life, but also to direct and 
operate such enterprises, just as the public schools are now being used 
in Alaska, under the guidance of the United States . Bureau of Edu- 
cation, with patriotic and economic results which are highly gratify- 
ing. The use of the school house as a polling place, a community 
forum, and a neighborhood club, are the three chief activities which 
this movement aims to promote. I have stated them in their logical 
order, but this may not always be the chronological order. In our 
world human processes do not move along logical lines, but along 
lines of least resistance. Therefore community center work frequently 
begins with some simple social activity, and from this evolves into 
larger activities. To learn to play together is sometimes a wise prep- 
aration for more constructive forms of cooperation. 



65 

The creation of community centers for the practice of fre»> 
men's citizenship is today our most urgent national need. Everywhere 
men and women are divided into classes according to their personal 
tastes or self-interest. There are social clubs, sectarian divisions, 
partisan groups. There are Women's clubs, labor unions, capitalistic 
federations. There are racial antagonisms, class hatreds, deep social 
cleavages and misunderstandings, dissimilarities of mind and purpose. 
I', is this condition, this lack of public-mindedness, this lack of social 
sympathy and mutual understanding, which we have come to regard 
as a serious menace to our experiment in democracy and which will 
guarantee its failure if unchecked. Our present urgent task is to dis- 
cover some means of welding America into a community. For, as 
Prof. Giddings says, "The primary purpose of the state is to perfect 
social integration." Social integration can be achieved not by phys- 
ical but by spiritual means, for a nation is the will to be one people. 
"The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." So in the American Re- 
public. A nation is a state of mind. How shall this welding process 
be effected? 

That man has gone far towards finding a good answer to this ques- 
tion who discovers the true function which the public school is de- 
signed and equipped to perform in the unification and development of 
community life; when he discovers that it is the appropriate place 
for the untrammelled exercise of the sacred right of manhood suf- 
frage in a republic; that it furnishes the ideal platform for a com- 
munity forum, where citizens may go to school to one another and 
freely discuss all social and economic questions in order to fit them- 
selves for the practice of citizenship; that it is the logical center, 
and clearing hWse for all enterprises, which concern the common 
welfare, promoting organized cooperation and preventing needless 
waste of time and money thru burdensome overhead charges and dup- 
lication of social activities; when one discovers these community uses 
of the school house, he has made a discovery of incalculable value to 
the progress of American ideals. 



Address by Professor R. P. Green, Western Normal School, 
Bowling Green, Ky. 

Subject: ''Elimination of Illiteracy by Community Effort." 
The war for freedom and democracy has been won. Liberty and 
humanity have been saved from tyranny and brutality. The valor of 
American manhood bled and died at Chateau Thierry, St. Mihiel and 
Argonne for the preservation of the principle of self-government and 
for the ideals of America. The crusaders for liberty have set in 



66 

motion waves of influence which will be felt on the shores of eter- 
nity. This great achievement has been wrought with undimmed glory 
for American arms and for the perpetuity of American institutions. 

Another task of vital importance to ourselves and our posterity 
is to safeguard and vouchsafe these treasures of representative gov- 
ernment to the new world of peace. All the issues of the future depend 
upon the accomplishment of this paramount task. All of our energies, 
all our prayers, all our lives must be sacrificed upon the altar of 
education. 

Without permanent loss or injury, we can practice economy in 
food, clothing and fuel; we may deprive ourselves of many luxuries; 
we may refrain from unnecessary travel; we may postpone business 
enterprises; we may suspend many activities not essential to health 
and happiness of the nation, but the support of our schools and other 
agencies of education cannot be withheld without the peril of 
permanent loss and irreparable injury. 

The importance of maintaining our schools at their highest pos- 
sible efficiency and giving every one the best possible opportunity 
for educational development has been made apparent to all who ob- 
serve and think. The welfare of our country and individual pros- 
perity depend upon high standards of work and the greatest possible 
attendance. The level of intelligence, skill and wisdom for the work 
of life and for the duties and responsibilities of citizenship rises for 
each age of increased achievement. The period of reconstruction after 
the world war will demand more and better trained men of scientific 
knowledge, technical skill and general culture. The world must be re- 
built and the trained people of the United States will play an im- 
portant role in the agricultural, manufacturing, commercial and cul- 
tural activities, for the trained men of Europe have paid the last full 
measure of devotion, so the schools of America will have to furnish the 
talent for industrial, educational and commercial rehabilitation of the 
old world. 

Americanization is of vital importance at the present time. Men 
and women who seek our shores for opportunity, liberty, must be 
given an opportunity to learn the English language. The last census 
showed more than thirteen million foreign-born people and more than 
thirty-two million of foreign birth or parentage, and it is estimated 
that fully 5,000,000 of these use a language other than English. We 
drafted into our army tens of thousands of men who could not under- 
stand a word of command, order, or make a memorandum. The first 
draft brought into the cantonments 40,000 whose confused tongues 
were learning to speak the language of the land they were summoned 
to defend. During those trying days when food was the crying need 
of the hour, the Secretary of Agriculture sent out many bulletins 
uring farmers to produce more wheat, more food, and told them how 
to do so; there were two and a half million of American farmers who 



67 

could not read a word and nearly twice as many read with such dif- 
ficulty as the bulletins were of little or no value. 

Hundreds of thousands of these emigrants know nothing of our 
country beyond the Palisades of the Hudson. Many of them know 
nothing of the wheat and corn fields of the west or the cotton fields of 
the south. They know nothing of our mountains and valleys, hills and 
plains, fields and forests, rivers and waterfalls. They know little of 
our history, its growth, development or principles of government, or 
of the ideals of our national life. They must learn to know its spirit. 

"There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who say3 
he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. 
We have room but for one flag, the American flag. We have room for 
but one language here and that the English language, and we have 
room for but one soul loyalty and that loyalty tp the American 
people." 

The fact is appalling, not necessarily disgraceful, but at least dis- 
creditable and uncomfortable to a great, free, liberty-loving civilized 
nation, that 5,516,162 persons above ten years of age in the United 
States are illiterate. This constitutes 7.7 per cent of all that part of 
our population. One-fourth of this number is native white or 1,534,272. 
58 per cent of all are white. Worse still is the fact that 2,273,604 of 
these are adult males of voting age; enough to turn the scale of any 
national election ever held. It does seem startling that the balance of 
power is in the hands of the ignorant voter, as the above figures 
Indicate. If these 5,516,163 were arranged in a double line three feet 
apart and marched at the rate of twenty-five miles per day, it would 
take two months for them to pass any given point. Their economic 
loss to the country at fifty cents loss per day per person amounts to 
$825,000,000.00 annually. 

The teacher can do and has done much to remove this stigma from 
our state's flag, but the school cannot reach very readily a large num- 
ber of illiterates without the intelligent cooperation of the general 
public. The work of that energetic, patriotic, capable superintendent 
of Rowan county, now head of our Illiteracy Commission, who has 
a vision of the future state, who has sympathy for benighted human- 
ity and who loves her native heath, will bring joy and happiness to 
many a timid heart of our people. The curtain of darkness hangs 
over many of them like a pall. The eyes of these unlettered poor 
cannot penetrate the mysteries of life and pardon as revealed in the 
gospels unless some ministering angel in the form of a public-spirited 
teacher teach them. The crusade against ignorance in any form ib 
truly righteous and holy. It means moral, material and intel- 
lectual improvement to the communities wherever the crusaders with 
their torches of intelligence enter. To shed light into dark corners and 
obscure places and to bring hope to the hearts and lives of humble 
homes to whose inmates the door of opportunity has been closed 



68 

by their own negligence or society indifference or by a public opin- 
ion in state of lethargy, is the patriotic duty of every good citizen who 
is willing to emancipate them from the thraldom of illiteracy. 

It has been the tradition dt our people that the schools of the 
country are the training stations of our standing army of peace; 
that the school houses are the fortifications that hold back the in- 
vasion of the hosts of ignorance, vice, anarchy and economic ineffi- 
ciency. In an organized social democracy, education is as important 
to the perpetuity of the republic as food, clothing and shelter and* 
should claim the services of the intelligent public. If then a state 
fails in securing right training for its citizer.s by its regular organized 
institutions, other methods must be resorted to, or popular gov- 
ernment must give way to some form of society, and economic organ- 
ization less dependent upon intelligence, skill, virtue and good will 
01 its citizens. 

It is bad to have illiterates in a country, but very encouraging 
to know that processes and forces are at work that are conspicuously 
and diligently efficient in diminishing these positively and relatively 
at an accelerated rate. Our record for reduction is probably un- 
equalled in the world. The processes and forces now in triumphant 
operation will soon bring a glorious consummation to pass, for this 
decline is co-extensive with the improvement and multiplication of edu- 
cational opportunities, such as moonlight schools, college and univer- 
sity extension work, trained teachers, high schools, consolidated 
schools for rural communities and improvement of the course of study 
and compulsory attendance laws. 

The effect of illiteracy on the productive industry is to dwarf the 
creative capacity and blight development of industry requiring skill 
and intelligence. The creative and productive power of a people is 
a fundamental educational problem. The creation of values, the pro- 
duction of wealth, the multiplication of human wants and development 
of the means to satisfy the wants are questions for all time. The 
more and better the commodities the wealthier the people or nation. 
To multiply wealth and prepare man to use it properly for himself and 
his fellows are essential to true progress. To make wealth abundant 
and to make it minister to the world's needs, means that we make 
wealth cheap and man dear. This recognizes man with intellect, 
skill and morality as the chief factor in the creation of wealth. The 
progress of civilization is measured by the ever growing skill, intel- 
lectual and moral equipment of race, the production of the skill that 
creates new wealth and conserves the already accumulated storehouse. 
These conclusions can be obtained by considering the figures. The 
foundation of imperial greatness rests upon the ability of the 
people to create wealth and character. Ignorance invites national 
decay and degeneracy and ruin. Witness Portugal with 80 per cent of 
its people illiterate, Spain with 75 per cent, Italy 33 per cent, Cuba 



69 

79 per cent, Russia 77 per cent, Brazil 80 per cent, and Mexico 80 
per cent. As each country expends money for education, it removes 
the illiteracy and increases the power for productive wealth. The 
ignorant savage stands before the river unable to follow his enemy, 
but getting some knowledge, he makes a canoe and follows; getting 
some more information, he cuts a forked stick for plow and feeds the 
tribe; growing wise as the ox, he makes him carry his burden. By 
knowledge of the tiller of the soil, wild rice becomes wheat; the 
forked stick becomes the steam gang plow; the flail becomes the 
header; the raft becomes the ocean steamer; the prarie schooner, the 
twentieth century limited. Ignorance wastes soils, forests, coal, water 
power, life; wisdom conserves and builds up the soils, preserves the 
forests, utilizes coal for industrial purposes and harnesses the falls 
for illumination and prolongs the span of life by sanitation. 

Ignorance is both death and sleep. Wisdom is myriad minded and 
alive for manifold acitivity. Ignorance wastes; wisdom conserves; 
ignorance paralyzes; knowledge quickens; ignorance makes poverty, 
wisdom makes riches; ignorance destroys; wisdom creates; ignorance 
degenerates; knowledge produces belter specimens; knowledge gives 
power, but frailty is the gift of ignorance. The educated mind sees 
visions of forces and masters them, but ignorance is blind and cannot 
see. Wisdom unfolds the powers of the individual, but illiteracy 
swivels them. Training develops powers and reveals opportunities. 
Lack of it dwarfs powers and shuts the door to hope. 

It is, therefore, evident that the greatest factor for increasing the 
wealth of a community is obviously the intellect, and the largest 
waste to a state or nation is ignorance. The heaviest tax is the tax 
of ignorance. Lack of development, failure to develop resources, 
wastes in industry, erosion of soils, wastes in the forests, exhaustion 
of agricultural resources, are through ignorance. Failure is lack of 
knowledge. Success is knowing how. Wealth is not so much in 
things of iron, wood, stone and soil, but in the creative power of the 
citizenship. Wealth is in knowing how to smelt the iron, to carve 
the wood, to chisel the stone, to till the soil. Knowledge opens the 
tunnel; spans the gorge; crosses the deep; develops industry. 
Ignorance breaks machinery in the factory; spoils the raw material; 
burns out the boilers; lets the coal lie idle under his feet and allows 
the soil of untold wealth to flow to the sea. It leaves the plow to rust 
in the fields and the mowers and reapers to become the victims of 
the summer's sun and winter's snow. 

The economic wastes of illiteracy can be felt in all fields of in- 
dustry and reflects itself profoundly in the use and abuse of our 
natural resources. Intensive farming on all the farms of Kentucky 
would quadruple the farm output of nearly all crops. Our illiterate 
population" developed into intelligent skilled citizenship would utilize 
our wonderful water power resources, propel the machinery of in- 



dustry with hydro-electric powei * a population of 12,000,000. 

Kentucky's coal area could "be made to employ a vast population in 
the manufacture of article:; of high grade to be sent to other parts 
of the nation and the world in return for its intelligence in the form 
of skilled labor. Kentucky's coal area is as great as that of England, 
Germany and France combined, yet England alone mines 350,000,000 
tons annually, while Kentucky digs only 20,000,000. Of this we ship 
two-thirds to other states to make articles which are shipped back to 
us at enormous cost, but we pay the bill. All of this could occur within 
the area of our state if the thousands of unskilled laborers could be 
by any method of training made into skilled workmen. Kentucky's 
skill and brains could in this way multiply enormously the wealth 
and capital of the biuegrass state. The creative power of the 
208,000 people who cannot read and write, estimated on the basis 
of what other people have done, is enormous. The economic loss 
of the state in having these among us compared with what they 
might have produced is beyond comprehension. It has been estimated 
that every day spent in school when the school term is extended 
through the high school is worth in increased earning power over the 
unskilled labor on the average of $10.00. The Bureau of Education 
estimates that the average school term of the average individual 
amounts to 5.27 years of two hundred days each, which when added 
to the high school amounts to about ten years or two thousand days 
of school work. Assuming that the individual attend 90 per cent or 
his time in doing the work in the common schools, he will attend 
school eighten hundred days. Assuming then that this work is com- 
pleted by the age of twenty and that the individual would live to be 
forty years old, and that each day's schooling is worth $10.00, we have 
an enormous economic loss in possible productive wealth of $3,600,- 
000,000.00, four times the assessed value of r 11 the property of the 
state, which could be added to the wealth of the state if all the illit- 
erates could be transformed into highly skilled laborers working their 
maximum capacity for twenty years. To be conservative, if we could 
quadruple the educational power of all of our people, including those 
who cannot read and write, we could multiply the wealth of the state 
by at least ten. Then if we are to develop our natural resources, 
improve our soils, make our waste places blossom as the rose, con- 
serve our forests, keep our soil on the hillsides, unfetter the souls 
that are now in the bondage of illiteracy; if we are to make our 
homes fit places from a sanitary point of view for growing of mam- 
hood and womanhood, and if we are to make two blades of grass grow 
where one formerly grew, and two graces of heart where none grew 
before, and if we are to keep alive in men's minds and hearts the 
ideals of truth, honor and patriotism, and cultivate patriotic, intel- 
ligent citizenship with reason and love of justice; if we"* are to pre- 
serve the subtratum of all democracy, the individual, we must 



71 

educate all of our people, must eliminate adult illiteracy. The illiterate 
voter must go, the republic cannot endure partly educated and partly 
uneducated. 



WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1919. 

Morning Session. 

Hon. Mat S. Cohen, Commissioner of Agriculture, Labor and 

Statistics for Kentucky, Presiding. 

Synopsis of address by Miss V. Lota Lorimer, Director of 

Red Cross Nursing, Lake Division. 

Subject: "Public Health Program of American Red Cross." 

HOME DIETETICS. 

Each Red Cross Chapter, through its committee on educational 
activities, should actively promote the formation of classes in home 
dietetics both among Red Cross members and among non-members 
in its community. This course is designed to teach women the proper 
selection and nutritive value of food in order that they may under- 
stand and apply the underlying principles of dietetics in buying and 
cooking, and in serving food in their own homes. The course consists 
of fifteen lessons of not less than two hours each and a final exam- 
ination. A necessary requisite to appointment as an instructor for 
the course in Home Dietetics is that the candidate be an enrolled Red 
Cross Dietetian. Dietetians are enrolled for service with the Red 
Cross by the Department of Nursing at National Headquarters. 
From these ^enrolled dietitians instructors for the Home Dietetics 
course will be. appointed. Red Cross chapters should render all 
assistance possible in providing adequate class rooms and in supplying 
the necessary class room equipment, in order to insure instruction 
being given under favorable conditions and to reduce the expense 
of the course which must be borne by the members of the class. 
These classes may be organized by individuals, schools, clubs or other 
organizations. It is not the purpose of the Red Cross to conduct its 
instruction work for profit, but rather to disseminate to the greatest 
extent possible the information and knowledge which the course in 
Home Dietetics offers. The chapter should aim to carry out this 
policy and by so .doing further the spirit of the Red Cross in each 
community. The chapter should also establish the charge for in- 
struction in this course, and the amount of the instructor's compen- 
sation, and should collect the class fees and pay the instructor. It is 
especially desirable that the class fees of students be the minimum 
if the class is composed of women of limited means; and by proper 
management the chapter may be able to extend the benefits of the 
course to many who could not otherwise afford to take the instruction. 



72 

THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF CHAPTER 
NURSING ACTIVITIES. 

The various specific nursing activities which, under proper con- 
ditions, may be instituted by a chapter are: 

(a) To develop and aid in the organization of public health 
nursing over the entire territory of the chapter. 

(b) To co-operate, wherever possible, with federal, state or local 
public health officials and bodies, and with the Federal Children's 
Bureau, in health campaigns. 

(c) To cooperate in the organization of committees on nursing 
activities in branches and auxiliaries where desirable. 

(d) To organize and conduct classes in Home Hygiene and 
Care of the Sick, and in Home Dietetics and to develop and extend 
such instruction to schools, clubs, industries, churches, etc. 

(e) To cooperate in the enrollment of Red Cross nurses and 
dietitians. 

(f) To engage in such other Red Cross nursing activities as 
may be established. 

The chapter Committee on Nursing Activities should include 
among its members one or more representatives of each of the foL 
lowing: 

(a) The Board of Health. 

(b) The Board of Education (or a representative teacher). 

(c) The Medical Association. 

(d) The Chamber of Commerce or Board of Trade. 

(e) The clergy. 

(f) Such other active local organizations as the Civic Club, 
Woman's Club, etc. 

(g) The Chapter Home Service Section. It may be of advantage 
also to have a representative of the Committe on Nursing Activities 
OR the Home Service Committee, and it is suggested that this be ar- 
ranged for when practicable. 

(h) The Local Committee on Red Cross Nursing Service, where 
convenient; or if not, then a representative Red Cross nurse qualified 
as a general representative of the Red Cross Nursing Service should 
be appointed with the approval of the Division Director of Nursing. 

(i) Other local public health nursing agencies, if any. 

(j) Chapter School Committee. 

(k) United States Department of Agriculture (usually a Home 
Demonstration agent.) 

All money required for chapter nursing activities, such as admin- 
istration expenses, salaries of public health nurses, cost of trans- 
portation and the purchase of equipment and supplies may be taken 
from the general chapter funds, when sufficient, on authorization of 
the Chapter Executive Committee. 



73 



uit courses should not be given gratis, but the 
chapter, in organizing classes, should take into account the finan- 
cial ability of the class members and charge, where advisable, only a 
nominal sum. 

Hereafter, all the chapter functions of the nursing service are to 
be conducted by the Chapter Committee on Nursing Activities, and 
this committee should absorb the committee, if any, now conduct- 
ing the course in Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick and Home 
Dietetics, but should not include the direction of First Aid instruction 
among its functions. 



THE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF A PUBLIC 
HEALTH NURSING SERVICE. 

The Red Cross would prefer to have communities organize and 
finance their own public health nursing service, where possible, 
under the supervision of the state authorities. Where the community 
is unable, or i:ot ready to bear the entire burden of financing a public 
health nursing service, the Red Cross will undertake to organize the 
service and finance it, with the aid of the community or from its own 
funds, until such time as the state or municipality will take over the 
direction and supervision of the service. 

Where no Public Health Nursing Service exists or none is im- 
mediately projected it is very desirable that a chapter establish such 
a service and chapter funds may be used for this purpose. How- 
ever, it will be preferable in many cases not to use chapter funds 
wholly, but to enlist the support of the community by seeking the 
money needed from sources such as municipal or county funds, pri- 
vate contributions, or special campaigns. 

Where an organization interested in child welfare or general 
public health nursing has been working in a territory for a con- 
siderable period and is contemplating the establishment of a public 
health nursing service, the Red Cross chapter should not establish 
such a service without consulting the organization first in the field. 
Where it is ascertained that the other organization is considering 
the establishment of a public health nursing service and is well 
able to conduct it, the chapter should abandon any plans for setting 
up such a service. Where the other organization is accumulating 
funds and is in a fair way to collect an amount sufficient to set up 
the service the chapter should also withdraw from the field. 

Where there is an existing organization conducting a public 
health nursing service which might greatly extend the development of 
its work through the financial assistance of a chapter, the chapter 
could appropriate from its funds a sum sufficient to aid in the de- 
velopment. No donations from chapter funds in excess of one- 
tenth of the yearly expense of conducting the public health nursing 



74 

service shall be made, except upon consultation with the Division 
Manager, the Director of the Division Department of Nursing and 
the Director of the Division Bureau of Public Health Nursing, as to 
the -wisdom of employing chapter funds in the development of the 
service in question, as very often it requires a close inspection of all 
aspects of the situation to determine whether the money would be 
well invested or not. 

The desirability of establishing a chapter public health nursing 
service having been decided upon, the chapter should adopt in ad- 
vance some plan for financing it. The financing of the public health 
nursing service shall be dene by the Chapter Committee on Nursing 
Activities, subject to and with the advice of the Chapter Executive 
Committee. 

The nursing of patients shall be carried on only under the direc- 
tion of a physician. No other procedure is possible unless the nurse 
oversteps the bound of her profession. 

Bedside care shall not be extended to patients with certain 
communicable diseases, such as smallpox, scarlet fever, etc., unless 
due provision can be made for the protection of other patients. 
Instruction in nursing and every possible assistance shall be given to 
families in which such cases occur. 

Under no circumstances shall a public health nurse be expected 
to act as dispenser of food, clothing, money or other form of material 
relief. 

The Red Cross public health nurse shall wear the standard 
nurse's uniform of the American Red Cross. Specifications for this 
uniform shall be obtained by the Chapter Committee from the 
Division Director of Public Health Nursing. 

Experience has shown that the scope of usefulness of a public 
health nurse is greatly broadened in a community by placing the work 
on a business basis, as many families who would not request the 
services of a nurse when the service is on a free basis, will readily 
do so when a fee is charged. The Chapter Committee on Nursing 
Activities shall decide the chapter policy on this question and fix the 
fee (sufficient to cover the average cost per visit) to be charged for 
all visits made at the request of the family visited. Any family 
in the community should be entitled to call for the services of a 
nurse and the public health nurse should, in conference with the 
sub-committee, if necessary, determine what fee, if any, should be 
charged those patients unable to pay the usual fee. 

The public health nurses must be appointed to the chapter by 
the Bureau of Public Health Nursing at Red Cross Division Head- 
quarters. In many cases the Chapter Committee on Nursing Activ- 
ities will request that a specific nurse be appointed, or suggest desir- 
able local candidates. All such cases shall be taken up with the 



75 



Division Director of the Bureau of Public Health Nursing and every 
effort will be made to comply with the chapter's wishes. 

i Nurses desiring to serve as Red Cross public health nurses must 
meet all the requirements of the Red Cross Bureau of Public Health 
Nursing and must be enrolled Red Cross nurses or must make appli- 
cation for enrollment. 

An effort should be made by the Chapter Committee on Nurs- 
ing Activities to interest a nurse who is a local resident, and who 
will meet the Red Cross requirements for the service. The nurse's 
knowledge of and her adaptability to local conditions will be of help 
in her work. 

The first three months of a nurse's services shall be considered 
a probationary period, during which time either the Chapter Com- 
mittee on Nursing Activities is free to dismiss the nurse or the 
nurse may resign, on a short notice. 

Any time after the expiration of the three months' probationary 
period when a change or dismissal of nurses is desired, at least a 
month's notice thereof shall be given to the nurse and to the 
Division Director of Public Health Nursing. The nurse shall also 
give a month's notice of her intention to leave. 

When practicable the nurse shall have one-half day a week, ex- 
clusive of Sundays and holidays, for rest and recreation. 

Under ordinary circumstances, nurses should not be called for 
night duty, but in case of emergency, when this is done, the chapter 
should provide for the care of her patients during the day. The 
chapter should forbid any attempts made by the nurse to practice 
privately after hours. 

It is desirable that the nurse have an office where she may 
be found at stated hours for conferences and for minor dressings. 
This office should not be connected with any church or society giving 
material relief. Such an office will fill a great need in small com- 
munities, if it can be centrally located, and may also serve the pur- 
pose of a dispensary, with a physician in attendance, one or two days 
a week. It is suggested that the office be a part of the chapter 
headquarters where convenient 



Address by Dr. Arthur T. McCormack, State Health Officer 
of Kentucky, Late Chief Health Officer of Panama Canal. 

Subject: "The Kentucky Health Problem/' 
Kentucky's health problem may be discussed under three heads: 
(I) Invoice of health conditions so we may know which need remedy- 
ing. (2) Invoice of health agencies so necessary additions may be 
estimated and provided for. (3) What is to be done now? 



76 

Regardless of your knowledge and mine, that almost half of the 
annual death rate of Kentucky is premature, caused by diseases which 
can and should be entirely prevented; in spite of the progress that 
has been made in this State in abstract knowledge of the sanitary 
laws of life — and in no other State has greater progress been made, 
nor are the health authorities so secure in the co-operation of the 
people in any other State as in Kentucky — our country is confronted 
with a demonstrable threat of national inefficiency from ill health. It 
is my purpose not merely to arouse this distinguished body to a reali- 
zation of this threat. A mere rhetorical display which w r ould present to 
you the history of the mistakes of past ages would be as futile as it has 
always been. I would awaken you not only to the dangers which 
threaten, but to your own duty and responsibility in devising prac- 
ticable measures for preventing them while there is yet time. It is 
to such organizations as this that the country has a right to look 
for leadership — such inspired leadership as will not only present its 
facts convincingly, as will fearlessly denounce error or mistake in 
men or methods; as will, above all, devise and demonstrate the cor- 
rect ways and means; and then will persuade fiscal courts, city boards, 
the General Assembly and the National Congress to adopt such 
ways and means as w T ill carry the lessons w T hich mean health, life and 
efficiency to every individual in every home, however remote in the 
country, however crowded in the city. 

It is with this purpose that I shall present to you certain funda- 
mental facts as a basis for the executive and educational structure 
I would rear, embracing not health alone, but all those elements of 
action and knowledge on the part of its citizenship which are essential 
to the welfare of the Commonwealth. 

Naturally these statements of fact will be based upon my own 
experience as executive officer of the State Board of Health of 
Kentucky, and will suggest remedies for the conditions which exist 
here, although these conditions can be multiplied by the number of 
states in the Union, except that the factors going to make up the 
sum total of good or bad health of the people of each state vary with 
many more or less local conditions, which it is not necessary for 
me to enumerate here. In Kentucky we have about 30,000 deaths 
each year and a few more than 60,000 births. Of the deaths not only 
are practically 14,000 each year from diseases which we now know- 
how to prevent, but the enormous sick rate of which these 14,000 
deaths are the ultimate and tangible result would likewise have 
been entirely prevented had modern sanitary knowledge been ap- 
plied by the people themselves at the right time. For example, in 1918, 
a- typical year, we had 4,643 deaths from tuberculosis, and 27,858 cases 
of illness from this disease were reported; 1,100 little babies died 
with the diarrheal disorders of infancy and 22,000 of them were re- 
ported as ill from this disease; there were 625 deaths from typhoid 



77 

fever and 9,375 people suffered from this purely filth-borne disease; 
241 Kentuckians died from diphtheria, while 2,410 of them had their 
lives endangered from this cause; there were 342 deaths from measles 
from 17,100 cases and 829 whooping cough from 41,450 cases; 
1,202 of our citizens died from cancer, and there were 1,776 killed by 
•industrial or other violence. In other words, and summing the mat- 
ter up in a common denominator, which is understood wherever 
English is spoken, during 1918, which has been an average year so 
far as sickness and death have been concerned, preventable illness 
has cost the people of Kentucky in unnecessary doctors', druggists' 
and nurses' bills and loss of ftme from work, $76,549,828. During the 
same time, in its dead citizens, valued by economists purely as ma- 
chines at $1,700 eaeh, that Commonwealth has lost $41,211,400 in the 
unnecessary, premature and preventable deaths that have occurred. 
As badly as the State needs many things, it is wasting the enormous 
equivalent in human flesh and blood of $117,761,228 a year in wholly 
unnecessary sickness and death, at least three-fourths of which is 
readily preventable and should and can be prevented within ten 
years. 

In 1916 when our militia was mobilized, as a member of the 
Medical Reserve Corps of the United States Army I was ordered to 
assist in the examination of the Kentucky militia. At the call of 
the President and country there assembled 4,200 militiamen who were 
selected, as prescribed by law, from among the thousands of their 
countrymen who would gladly have responded to the Union's call. 
These men were selected by their officers, because superficially, at 
least, they seemed to possss the physical stamina and mental caliber 
necessary to'imake soldiers. When the physical examinations were 
completed, and . they were conducted entirely by experienced Ken- 
tucky physicians, it was found that 1,600, or 37 per cent, were phy- 
sically uaifit to go to the front. 

The deductions drawn from these smaller figures are amply con- 
firmed by the larger ones of the National Army. 75,024 men were 
examined, and with materials, lowered standards as to height, and 
weight, which accounts fully for the difference, 25% were physically 
unfit for duty as soldiers. In both examinations, however, the total 
rejections as totally unfit and wholly useless were between 14 and 
16% of the total. Of these at least half are as useless and worthless 
as citizens as they would have been as soldiers. They represent a 
degenerate, because diseased, riff-raff from our cities and small towns 
with neither morals, mind nor physique sufficient for them to solve 
the complex problems of modern life in such a way as to make them 
useful. I regret to say that I believe had this mobilization been of 
our women, even the women of Kentucky who are our pride and 
boast, although the causes of deficiency would have been superficially 
different, practically the same results would have presented them- 



78 

selves. Necessarily and naturally these figures do not include the 
obviously unfit, such as the insane, feeble-minded, criminal classes, 
but I desire to call attention to the existence of an inefficient class 
in the United States, largely due to physical causes entirely pre- 
ventable or remediable, constituting approximately one-ten^th of our 
population, who remain so constantly inefficient throughout life 
that they are not self-maintaining, but are community or family bur- 
dens, and are therefore public charges directly or indirectly, and to 
leave with you the question as to whether it would not be better for 
the State to assume the charge directly with a view to gradually 
lessening it. 

As a natural corollary of these vital facts, and as an equally 
damning factor in the education of our youth for citizenship, I ask 
your attention for a moment to these facts gleaned from the census 
reports: 

Between 1870 and 1900 the population of the United States in- 
creased from 38,000,000 to 76,000,000, and in the same period the tilled 
farm land area increased from 400,000,000 acres to 839,000,000 acres. 
On the other hand, from 1900 to 1910 there was a 21 per cent, in- 
crease in the land in farms. There has been no increase in the pro- 
duction of food grains in the last twenty years. Between 1900 and 
1910 there was an actual decrease of 20,000,000 of the food producing 
animals, although there was an increase of 16,000,000 people in the 
same time. Between 1880 and 1910 the area of tilled farm lands in 
New England, New York and New Jersey decreased 9,809,834 acres, 
and in a recent address before its legislature the Governor of Vir- 
ginia announced that there are now in that state 10,000,000 acres 
of tillable unfarmed lands. 

Turning from results to causes, let us consider the basis upon 
which we now term diseases as preventable, realizing that preventive 
medicine is in its infancy, and that such a consideration is elementary 
and suggestive as compared with what may actually be done when 
the health part of education has received its proper emphasis. 

Preventable diseases are grown from seed, which we call germs, 
just as crops or weeds are grown. Just as the seed of wheat and barley 
grow best in the North and cotton and sugar-cane in the South, so 
the germs of tuberculosis, of diphtheria, of pneumonia have their 
natural locus in the respiratory tract, while those of typhoid fever, the 
dysenteries and the intestinal parasites are found developing in the 
intestines. As the seeds and their products, as food, from northern 
fields are distributed not only through the South but throughout the 
nations of the earth — to those in direct line first — just so these dis- 
ease seed and their products, as poisons, are found scattered through 
the whole body of the one in whom they develop and are thence con- 
veyed to relatives, neighbors, friends — to those in direct line first. 
The natural laws under which the seed of the field are planted, de- 
velop their crops and are harvested are no more definitely known 



79 

than are those in accordance with which the seed of these diseases 
are propagated, develop their symptoms and are harvested as un- 
necessary sickness, preventable death or lingering inefficiency. While 
it is true that scientists understand the one as definitely as the other 
the practical knowledge of crop management is in the hands of those 
who manage crops; the practical knowledge of disease prevention and 
human efficiency is not in the hands of those who would live and 
who would be efficient. It is the man who has the disease who must 
know how to prevent the spread of the disease seed which have de- 
veloped in his body. Sanitation has too much emphasized the wrong 
of having disease as distinguished from the crime of spreading dis- 
ease. It would be neither difficult nor expensive for every individual 
to so manage himself or for counties or cities to so manage that 
practically all the excretions which might harbor diseased seed would 
be so disposed of that they would not reach some other individual. 
A child who contracts diphtheria or influenza from you or me and 
dies is poisoned, is murdered as much as if you or I poisoned it with 
strychnine or arsenic. Systematic and annually repeated examinations 
of the well so that remediable defects may be remedied while simple; 
early and adequate treatment, including nursing and hopitalization of 
infectious diseases, with a view to not only decreasing the death 
rate but to preventing the spread of sickness; systematic inspection 
and sanitary licensing of food for their citizenship producing and 
handling establishments ; the economic disposal of garbage and manure 
so as to prevent fly breeding and water pollution; the provision of 
pure water supplies not only for cities but for homes. When what 
we now know of the causes of diseases and methods of spread are 
known to every individual, health departments will have the time and 
equipment to investigate and include many other diseases now con- 
tributing to inefficiency, but which we are as yet unable to prevent, 
and will assist those who have an aroused health conscience not to 
spread; will perform those definite community functions which can 
be done more effectively and economically than by each household 
separately; will, by frequent physical examinations and re-examina- 
tions, help each and all to practical knowledge of how to live and 
work and play; will bring before the courts those criminals who 
propagate disease; and, more than all else, will continue to take their 
part in the training of the young during their formative periods in 
all these things. 

How may these desirable ends be brought about in these physi- 
cally degenerate days in which we live? 

I shall answer this query by recalling to you the definite cam- 
paign conducted by the State Board of Health of Kentucky, financed 
by the Rockefeller Commission for the eradication of hookworm dis- 
ease. The incidents of this campaign, with its successes and failures, 
constitute the most brilliant page of health work in Kentucky, and 



80 

the lessons it has taught there are capable of universal application 
in all sections and for all diseases. 

In order to make this clear, I must tell you what we told the 
people at every crossroads in the counties where tliese public health 
campaigns were conducted about hookworm disease. This disease 
is most prevalent in the sandy soils of our hill and mountain sections. 
The people of this part of Kentucky are a pure bred Anglo-Saxon 
people. They have the virtues and faults of their ancestry. Hospitable, 
frugal, conservative, it is necessary to actually show them the proof 
of one's proposition; but once convinced, it is easy to get their co- 
operation, but difficult to keep it. About hookworm disease they 
knew nothing; hence did not believe such a disease existed. They 
did not actually believe it non-existent, as so-called more highly edu- 
cated antis would, but had never heard of it. Even if there were 
such a thing, they did not believe they had it, or, if they did, that 
we could recognize or cure it, and many of them, religious but fatalis- 
tic, believe that, in common with all afflictions, it there is, and if they 
have hookworm disease, it has been given them for a good purpose 
by a higher power who will relieve them of it when He chooses. They 
gathered at our. announced dispensaries by the dozens or hundreds, 
frequently coming for miles, quietly distrustful, but equally without 
prejudice for or against us or our propaganda. 

The hookworm is about half as long as a common pin and about 
Ihe size of a pin. In its natural size, seen singly, it does not appear 
formidable. But when you see its magnified mouth, with its hooks 
from which its name is derived, and know that once hooked into 
the intestine it sucks blood, each worm using a drop or more each 
day, and then, through what we may call its hollow fangs, it pours 
its poison into the blood stream, and that it is rarely found singly 
but usually by hundreds and not infrequently by thousands, it is easy 
to realize its twofold results in the individual, especially if young 
and undernourished, who harbors it. These are stunted of growth, 
frequently even to dwarfish, from the anemia or blood starvation, and 
toxemia from the poison infected. A boy of twenty may look as if he 
were ten or twelve — permanently ruined, dwarfed, hopeless, a mental, 
moral, physical wreck, stranded by an eddy in the river of progress — 
and yet live for years; while another, similarly infected, may develop 
the rapid anemia and toxemia, abdominal dropsy and general edema 
and death. 

Each female worm lays eggs by the hundreds. These pass with 
the dejecta, and dropped where there is shade, moisture and warmth, 
the eggs soon hatch out their baby worms, and these are in a few 
days ready to push through the exposed skin of the toes, legs or hands 
of the next unthinking boy or girl who comes along. In the toes or 
along the legs they produce the symptom long known as dew poison, or 
toe itch, for which our grandmothers tied a greased, red flannel string 



81 

around the big toe. This treatment always cured (?), because the 
tiny worms, 1/400 of an inch long, rapidly work through the skin 
and flesh and swim along the veins to the heart and lungs, whence they 
are coughed up and then swallowed, finally attaching themselves in 
the intestines, sucking in their food of its wall and they remain 
months or years until accident or treatment dislodges them, causing 
the various and vague symptoms and physical phenomena which go 
to make up what we call hookworm disease. 

You understand that I am but sketching the picture which is 
drawn in the vernacular when talking to the people, a lantern slide 
showing each step to the eye as the words describe it to the ear. 
The audience listens, respectfully, intent, but unconvinced. 

We show them on the screens groups from neighboring sections — 
the nearer the better — calling attention to the expression or rather 
lack of mobile expression the laughless face, frequently ' asym- 
metrical; the staring fish eyes, the protuberant, dropsical abdomen — 
what they call pot-belly — in the children, the swollen legs, whole 
families consisting of many stunted, mirthless children, varying but 
little in size, but all prematurely aged and apparently with the weight 
of the ages on their too small shoulders. We throw on the screen the 
old houses, carved out of the forests by the hands of their pioneer 
forefathers, and get them to see with us their rotting timbers, broken 
porches, the irregular and- broken comb-lines of the roof, missing rocks 
in unpointed, decaying chimneys. We picture the gradually decreas- 
ing acreage of tilled lands on the farms of which these houses are 
the homesteads, the successive areas of "new ground," cleared of their 
virginal forests, the surface soil frequently washed away, leaving 
the bare, gravelly ditches washing over patches of dwarfed grain. 
Where the pioneers built homes the later generation built cabins, 
first log and now the miserable, rough, upright box houses that too 
frequently sawmills enable those decadents to build. Children, parents, 
homes, farms, orchards, even the infrequent livestock, all seem to be 
laboring under some spell that makes them slow and heavy, dull 
and listless. Of course we all know that not all of any section of 
Kentucky is like this gloomy picture, and that in many parts of the 
State there is practically no hookworm disease. The exceptions in 
the affected sections are the rifts in the clouds that show what all 
could be, what all have a right to be, when they are cared for as 
human beings, examined and treated and then followed up and re 
habilitated, shown how to earn a living., and then how to live. Just 
as we lead them on the pathway to health, so must they as care- 
fully, as slowly, as thoughtfully, be taught to see and tread the other 
paths; all essential for them to know the road to a wholesome, moral, 
useful life. 

Next, pictured on the screen, is shown a dilapidated building — 
evidently not a safe or fit refuge or abiding place for the beasts of 



82 

the field — and we try to show the futility of such schoolhouses for 
any practical training in life as it should be distinguished from as 
it is. A few interiors from the worst class of schools; many without 
desks having only rough benches; others with desks designed by a 
descendant of old Procrustes, the feet of the smaller children 
dangling, asleep, on their tiny legs varying inches from the floor, 
the gaunt legs of the older ones twisted, scissors fashion, as they bend 
their stooped shoulders to try to cipher or decipher in the poorly 
lighted, badly ventilated room. Stove and children quickly consume 
between them the available oxygen, and the poor youngsters who 
continue to drink at these Pierian springs hibernate through their 
school days, asphyxiating themselves as the bears in the same wilds 
did before them. 

Small wonder when one sees such schools, and even much better 
ones, and knows that these children and their parents "sense," with- 
out exactly knowing that they know, that the curriculum is as use- 
less in their lives as "a painted ship on a painted ocean," that the 
investigation in one of our best counties has shown that 47 per cent 
of those of school age are enrolled as pupils in the common schools in 
spite of drastic compulsory education laws. Of this less than half of 
the children, only 20 per cent enter high school; while but 3 per 
cent of the latter go to college, and, last and most significant, in this 
good county, of this 3 per cent trained under a wholly impractical and 
inefficient system, less than 0.1 per cent return to live in the county 
which educated them. And yet, wonderful to relate, the whole course 
of education from the first grade to the eighth through the high 
school and the college, is framed, as it came through Virginia from 
England, for the negligible minimum who are too frequently taught 
just enough to ruin them for useful lives in their nautral rural en- 
vironment and driven to make a large part of the half-baked, under 
paid, submerged, professional or semi-professional town or city men. 
What a wealth of truth and philosophy, what a general application, 
had Uncle Remus' exclamation about his humbler race: "Put a 
spellin' book in a nigger's hand an' right den an' dar you ruins a 
plow hand. Wid one bar'l stave I can fa'rly lift the veil of ignorance; 
yes, honey, wid one bar'l stave I can teach more dan all the schools 
twixt dis and Michigan." 

And yet in one of the humblest of those schools was observed 
one of the most pathetic examples of primal vocational education. 
In the very heart of the hills we found it, its teacher and each and 
every one of its forty-five pupils, a victim of hookworm disease, to 
say nothing of other ailments, and as we went in we found this 
teacher giving a rather complex lesson in music to these pupils. On 
a blackboard, once black calico, and blacked and reblacked with stove 
polish or shoe blacking, he had laboriously drawn his bars and notes 
where his flimsy "board" rested against the smooth logs, leaving his 



83 

students to read between the lines what they would where the rough 
"chinkin" made writing impossible. Standing in the door of this cabin 
school I could look across a ravine and see a ledge of coal that under- 
lies practically all of this county, and yet wood in a tight stove con- 
sumed the scanty oxygen of these already anemic pupils. As I thought 
that if these children went through the eight years of the common 
school, and then, as no child has yet done from that district, spent 
four years in a high school and four in a college, and more yet in a 
university, he might and would be taught many things, he might learn 
to become a faddist or to call himself a philosopher; but in them 
all he would never learn things that he could bring back home to his 
own kind which would call them out from their inefficient, because 
diseased lives and teach them the value of the soil and minerals with 
which they are surrounded. It was only after returning home that, 
pondering over these things and others, I realized that the teacher 
taught wiser than he knew. In Kentucky, out of each five babies 
born one dies in infancy; another in childhood; a third between child- 
hood and womanhood or manhood; and, of the other two, only one 
goes to school; and it dawned on me that this poor teacher, intuitively 
feeling these things he could not know, taught music because his 
pupils would, mostly, join the heavenly choir, where music will be 
their vocation. 

These details are essential to the preparation of these people's 
minds, but they all have seen all these things throughout their lives, 
without realizing their cause, effect or relative proportion, and this 
recital leaves them unconvinced of the reality of hookworm disease. 

Then the screen tells human stories, written, it almost seems, in 
the very blood of those it pictures. In the one family we note the 
marked results of the disease itself not only in the anemia and edema 
but the squalor and abject poverty — the hopeless worthlessness of 
them all; or another family in another county, typical of hundreds of 
their too prolific kind, who never laughed, sang, bathed, thought or 
worked. Primitive almost as when Druids were priests, glance into 
their cooking and eating arrangements, and you who never know 
the pangs of hunger unappeased, pause with me and think of the re- 
volting mess of corn and beans swimming in unsavory fattish water 
and turn away in natural disgust and as naturally ask, "Am I my 
neighbor's keeper?" Then think of the slums, of the brothels, of the 
grog-shops, of the imbeciles, of the jails and poor farms, of the housing 
of the workmen in mines and factories and on farms, of all burdens 
of our several sections, and reconcile yourselves with all these for- 
gotten ineffectives and the great Father "who must love the poor 
because he made so many of them," think and pray a little for this 
stranded section, peopled by our own flesh and blood, and remember 
that most of these men and women are potential sons or daughters 
of the Revolution which won our freedom; that they are as proud 



S4 

and patriotic as they are shy, ignorant and impoverished; that they 
have forgotten and been forgotten too long to be able or willing to 
redeem themselves; that thousands of them are paupered inefficients, 
resident in pauper counties, and that this nation can ill afford to 
lose them or their kind. They hold as much promise for the future 
as any section of the race. Make them conscious of their real con- 
dition, help to lead them into all that i's best of Christian civilization, 
and at an expenditure of a few cents per capita for a few years, you 
can add a. better, bigger Scotland to the world. 

Think of H C . This poor, miserable, dying wretch 

was hauled from the county poor house to one of our dispensaries 
for miles in a jolt sled. Pellagrous, edematous, gasping for breath, 
our inspector pulled him into this cnair, and for two years I used his 
picture to illustrate the end-results of a certain part of these poor 
people. One night I told his story to our legislature, and one of the 
senators, recognizing him, exclaimed: "Why, Doctor, that man is alive 
and well. You almost refused to give him any medicine because he 
was so near dead. But he took it after that long ride back and they 
said he passed thousands of little worms. He is not dead at all but 
is now a mine foreman, making over $5 a day." And when I next saw 
him he appeared as an honest workman, his clothes, once empty, 
almost too full of healthy manhood, and, then again, dressed up on 
his way to a ball game, when he was learning, late in life, the ele- 
ments of play which are as essential as work to well-rounded de- 
velopment, and which is a rarer accomplishment even than work 
in this workaday world of ours. 

Let me introduce you to H L —. As I first saw him 

when he strayed, more in the semblance of a fox or rabbit, into a 
crowded dispensary group, the good country doctor, who was the 
mainstay and inspiration of that particular clinic, as some good coun- 
try doctor was of all of them, came over to me and whispered: "Get 
that fellow out as soon as you can. His kind are so degenerate, he is 
such a pariah that soon no one else will be here if we keep him." 
Naturally interested in "poor white trash," these hopeless human 
derelicts, the diseased and ignorant driftwood of our own race, I led 
him, as one might a stray pup, to the barn, and when we had un- 
dressed him we thought we had a case of tinea versicoloris or some 
rarer skin disease, but subsequent developments showed it to be in- 
grained dirt. H had never worn his clothes out; he had worn 

them in. He had, when opportunity offered, added any outer gar- 
ment which might cover a hole or reinforce a thin place, and soap and 
water repeatedly applied for months uncovered the skin underneath, 
as a little medicine and much kindness and some food brought the 
mind and soul that had sulked in that miserable body. At this inter- 
view IT was too wild and shy, as well as ignorant, to tell his 

story, but it was drawn from him piecemeal as he developed. He 



85 

was about twenty-four years old. He did not remember having seen 
either his father or mother, but of the latter "had heered she was an 
old woman over the hill." I asked him if he ever earned any money. 
He replied, "$6." Remembering that he was twenty-four years old, I 
asked him how he earned it. "I sold my vote three times for $2 each 
time." "For whom did you vote?" "I do not know. The man who 
traded with me told me to take a stick I would find on the shelf back 
of the curtain and make a mark with the pointed end of it in a ring 
under a house on the paper, and then come out and tell him the kind 
of a house it was and he would give me $2." I nevei* think of the 
pathos of this poor fellow's degradation without wondering how a 
man who opposed his wife's right to vote could reconcile he* to any 
confidence in his judgment and sense of fairness if he believed in 
manhood suffrage, and that this animal should vote merely because he 
had a semblance of a man. 

In one of our interviews I asked H if lie had ever heard of 

the Bible. "No, I never heerd of no such thing!" "H , di:l you 

ever hear of Jesus Christ?" "No," came his slow reply; "there was 
never nobody by sueh a name in these parts." And in his part there 
never had been! From the miserable hovel on the hillside where he 
lived, or rather existed, the spires of three churches could be seen 
pointing toward the blue sky. Inquiry showed that each of them 
made substantial contributions toward the support of missionaries in 

Asia and Africa. In this they are right, but I'd rather have H 

L 's chance for-admission to the eternal home than to have that 

of all those who merely contribute of their surplus to pay substitutes 

to do their work, in His vineyard here! H 's treatment cost less 

than a dollar. He is an Anglo-Saxon white man of our own flesh and 
blood. He earns almost as much per day for honest labor as he had 
been paid in twenty-four years for his dishonor! He has occupied his 
idle hours wandering over bridle paths through his native hills se- 
curing specimens for examination and taking back the medicine to 
those found infested, so that they may have the benefits he has se- 
cured. Is not work worth while which will redeem such pariahs? 
There are many of them within a few blocks of where I speak, 
wherever that may be, in any part of this Christian land we profess 
to love. And I would rather have H 's chance here and here- 
after than yours or mine, unless we are willing to give some of our- 
selves, our brawn and brain to the service of our neghbors. 

I wish all of you could have seen two poor children in Larue 
County when I first saw them. They were born almost in sight of 
the birthplace of and from the same social substratum as our great 
President, Abraham Lincoln. A telephone message came to us from 
the neighborhood physician that he had five cases in one family 
which seemed a combination of Bright's disease and peritoneal tuber- 



86 

culods which he wanted investigated. Two of the little lives had 
snuffed out before we saw them* Hookworms were so thick in their 
starved little intestines that they seemed like wet hair-brushes. The 
little remnants, white as alabaster, emaciated yet odematous, looked 
like the spectres they soon would have been. But 20 cents' worth of 
medicine transformed and a little kindness redeemed them and their 
parents too. I saw them first after a year and marked the mere physi- 
cal transformation. This in itself would not have been so remarkable, 
because we have often seen the emaciated and the weak restored to 
health and strength by love and care. But this is actual redemption. 
A little search would have revealed these lads' grandparents who 
were neighbors and friends, no doubt, of Tom Lincoln and Nancy 
Hanks. Think of the miserable hovel in which they were found; sit- 
ting in the mud of the "dog-trot." Think with me of these two old 
wrecks who had tottered through their worthless existence, without 
conscious knowledge of any of the higher impulses which distinguish 
the human from the brute. Will you turn with me again to the 
grandchildren, after two years, and as we know them, the first of 
their breed that ever worked; descended as they were from the poor- 
est of "poor wiiite trash," and realize that in five short years these 
three boys and their one shiftless father and mother and sister and 
little brothers have become real people, that he has paid off the mort- 
gage on their rough farm, that they burned some lime and planted 
legumes on their wornout fields; that their new home has screened 
windows in its dining-room-kitchen and that a Kentucky sanitary 
privy devised by my father as a necessity of this campaign, self- 
cleaning, fly-proof, water-tight and clean, which prevents the possi- 
bility of the soil polution which has dragged their family in its de- 
graded depths, and, at the same time, fertilizes a flower bed, tyDical 
of the blcom of hope, of life, now and in eternity, that has come to 
them; will you not with me return thanks to the Great Physician that 
these in their redemption showed how the inefficient, submerged ele- 
ment of our race may be redeemed. 

Our audiences listen to these recitals, moved emotionally, as you 
are, by trrtK; but they listen as to the average sermon — with ap- 
proval, even appreciation of what has been done for these poor 
sufferers, but without any idea or thought that they themselves are 
sufferers. They are willing, though, almost every single one of them, 
to take a great step forward in cooperation with us — as they file out 
of the meeting place they take the proffered little tin pillboxes, and 
next morning each of them brings it, half-filled with feces for exami- 
nation for the eggs of the various parasites. The bright young 
women trained in our laboratories as microscopists, who travel with 
us to these people, soon find, in some specimen, hookworm eggs, and 
it is surprising how the countryman, used to sighting a rifle, can be 



87 

taught to sight down the inside of the barrel of a microscope. Always, 
in some one specimen at least, there will be discovered live embryo- 
nic worms just emerging from their shells, wriggling about the micro- 
scopic field. Leaders of public opinion at once become zealous con- 
verts. The wealth of conviction with which one of these old weather- 
beaten dubitists, straightening his full length after inspecting these 
tiny varmints that have come from his own person: "Wall! I'll be 
durned! I never knowed I were a durnel snake-hole," indicates a 
revolution in the inner man, and the unbeliever is transformed into a 
willing follower. And, like his fellow Anglo-Saxons everywhere, 
when he has taken the medicine which was freely given him and finds 
subsequently that he has been harboring countless, tiny leeches, that 
had been sucking his blood and his vitality, he is seized with the 
missionary spirit, and goes forth to briirg his neighbors and relatives 
that they too may find relief. Almost 100,000 were treated during this 
great campaign. Thousands of these were permanently cured. Hun- 
dreds were redeemed from utter worthlessness and hopelessness here 
and hereafter. At least two brigades of the American Army which 
helped to free the world for democracy and set the stage from which a 
parliament of nations will recognize the rights of all mankind were 
physically qualified during this work to take their places as soldiers, 
and, now r returning, to proudly resume their places as citizens. 

But this section and this campaign have taught us one lesson, 
which we must all appreciate if we are to make real progress in Ken- 
tucky, that health is but one, even if the most important one, of the re- 
quisites of efficiency. Recall for a moment the M s and remember 

that for a year after they were cured of disease they were but husky 
brutes. It was only after they were shown how to w 7 ork that they be- 
came efficient, and, subsequently, productive citizens. What we must 
have is an educational system which will put in their proper propor- 
tions and place a proper value upon not culture alone as at present 
but culture and agriculture, health and roads, the civil government of 
the world and the Divine government of mankind — will develop all 
these things into the warp and woof of every childish nature so that 
each of thena will know how to do his job well, whatever that job is; 
will know how to enjoy and help control, and defend, if need be, our 
freedom and our country; will be taught enough of the sciences and 
the arts to appreciate his own work and to realize the necessity of 
that of his fellowmen; will be shown how, and then taught to work 
to improve the environment in which his fathers learned to be free- 
men; will be trained to live so that he will avoid disabling disease 
and acident himself, but so that should either mishap overtake him, 
he will, at all hazards, prevent others from contracting it from him. 
He will do those things because they are right and because it is his 
duty to his country, to his God and to himself for him to be efficient. 



88 

I cannot consume enough of your time to more than glimpse 
the application of this plan to occupational diseases and to industrial 
injuries, and all that large class of diseases which produce not death 
alone, but lingering inefficiency, of which malaria, tuberculosis and 
cancer are types. 

How shall we be organized for such a nation wide campaign? 
How may we substitute the State in the place of parents when the 
latter are but the empty semblance of the real thing? How shall 
we strike a balance between what demagogues howl about as liberty 
and that necessary patriotic restraint which is essential if we would 
rid ourselves of our ineffectives? How are we to avoid socialism and 
preserve individual liberty of action, and yet avoid national inef- 
ficiency? 

I would answer these queries by saying we must have organiza- 
tion, education, law enforcement and executive control. 

To secure national efficiency we must co-ordinate education with 
public health and all these other civic activities that go to the making 
of citizens out of men and women. We must have a Department of 
Public Health in Washington, of which our excellent Public Health 
Service should be the nucleus and the strong executive right arm. 
It must have permanently attached to it the various existing bureaus 
having health functions which before the war were scattered aimless- 
ly and at haphazard, unguided and uncontrolled, through various de- 
partments. It must have laboratories, modelled upon the splendid 
work now being done by the hygienic laboratory, but greatly enlarged, 
so that the basic problems, such as local health work, rural sanita- 
tion, home ventilation and hundreds of others almost entirely neg- 
lected, may find solution through scientific research and co-operative 
demonstration. No stone may be left unturned until the exact cause, 
and then the practical methods of prevention and relief have been 
actually put into the hands of the people themselves through local 
educational and health agencies. State health departments, like head- 
quarters of army corps, would put into execution those of the plans 
of the federal board of strategy, the National Department of Health, 
which would be necessary for their differing peoples. 

The Kentucky State Board of Health, I am happy to say, is now 
built on the best approved and most modern lines. Freed by law and 
by its courts from partisan politics, the bane of health work and the 
paralyzant of health workers this country over; controlled and guided 
by the most democratic and yet the strongest medical organization 
in any of the states — the same organization which sent 40% of its 
membership to care for Kentucky boys in the army, and yet, with the 
60% left at home coped the most terrible epidemic of history in such 
a manner that Kentucky's toll of death, though appalling, was 
amongst the lowest — your health department was endowed by the 
last General Assembly with all the elements recognized by those who 



89 

know best as requisite for real results. While still hampered by a 
small income, the State, in its poverty, has given us our proportion 
of its income, and from the operation of improved revenue laws and 
thoughtful and constructive consideration of the peoples' needs by 
the leaders of thought at such conferences as this and by the people 
themselves, we will be given the balance needed for the most suc- 
cessful operation. 

Our laboratories will locate disease and provide and distribute 
remedial and preventive sera and other necessary munitions which 
will be made universally available when needed, regardless of the 
economic condition of the individual or section where needed. Our 
statistical bureaus will gather the facts in regard to the causes of 
sickness and death and inefficiency, and the federal department will 
compile them so that all the people would know where trouble was, 
so that concentrated effort on the part of all necessary agencies, 
Federal, Red Cross, State, local and volunteer, could be focalized until 
it be relieved. 

In a democracy, after all, the most important governmental 
agencies should be these local ones which come in closest contact 
with the daily lives of the people themselves. It is important to re- 
member, however, that, while most important, they are frequently 
the least efficient. In the people they have many masters, most of 
whom are too busy with self-interest to give adequate supervision 
to their public employees. Our local health departments, outside 
of cities of the first and second class, are so organized that they are 
autonomous, not dependent on local political conditions, empowered 
fully to take whatever action, wherever necessary, to prevent inef- 
ficiency through ''ill health. In order to do this effectively, however, the 
fiscal court of each county must declare it a health district, thereby 
creating a county health department. They must have a qualified 
and responsible head who should have been an experienced practicing 
physician, with his necessary technical knowledge of disease and sym- 
pathy with the diseased, specially trained in the methods of preven- 
tive medicine. This all-time health officer and his necessary assistants, 
especially public health nurses and sanitary inspectors, should have 
a tenure of office dependent solely on honest and economic administra- 
tion and diminishing the sick and death rate and their consequent 
inefficiency. These assistants should be sufficiently numerous and 
similiarly trained and qualified, under civil service, so they could 
carry to every individual in every home on every highway, in every 
byway, the necessary knowledge which means abundant life; so they 
could compel the negligent or unthoughtful or the criminal to do these 
things, with the distinct purpose of such an organization as will make 
the second case of preventable illness impossible and the first case im- 
probable. Then, and not until then, will the people of Kentucky — 
thoroughly efficient, physicaly, morally and mentally capable of use- 



ful labor — realize on their constitution contract with their government, 
guaranteeing them not only in liberty, but in life and the pursuit of 
happiness. 

"We raise no monument of graven stones 

To mark the spot where some great battle raged; 

Where nation spoke to nation in the tones 
Of iron hate by crimson flood assuaged. 

"No pillared hall of justice build we here, 
Nor marble fane, nor house of narrow faith; 

Eut firm and strong these fortress walls we rear, 
To buttress out the ghastly hordes of death. 

# 

"The death that rides triumphant on the breeze, 
That taints the crystal goblet ere we drink; 

That brings the strong man trembling to his knees, 
And hurls its gasping victim o'er the brink. 

"We build a knightly hold along whose halls 
The white-clad hosts of healing come and go; 

And from the crest of battlemented walls, 

Where struggling science marks her ancient foe. 

"We give our red cross banner to the breeze, 

Where all the stricken myriads can see; 
And in the face of many-fanged disease 

We hurl the gauntlet of the strong and free." 



Address by Mrs. Helm Bruce, Chairman Kentucky Division, 
Woman's Committee, Council of National Defense. 

Subject: Woman's Committee. 

When America entered the war in April, 1917, as many as one 
hundred women's organizations wrote to the President offering help. 
Wonderful stories of what the French and English women had done, 
had come across the seas to us, and we knew that we could do as 
well if the need were as great. 

.Mr. Wilson summoned to Washington eleven prominent women; 
women who had handled large organizations, and presided over large 
assemblies, and turned over to them the task of co-ordinating the 
women of America into what was to be known as the Woman's Com- 
mittee, Council of National Defense. This was done by appointing 
State Chairmen who in their turn were to appoint County Unit Chair- 
men or Township Chairmen as seemed best in the different localities. 



91 

The organization proved to be entirely satisfactory as a means of 
communication between the President, his Council of Defense and the 
women of the country. Not only the organized women, but individual 
women in remote sections were reached by the messages' from Wash- 
ington in a short space of time. A new dignity was added to the posi- 
tion of women and they felt it and measured up to the task. There 
were in each State women who never caught the vision — who were 
out of harmony with the government. We had such in Kentucky, I 
am sorry to say, and in so far as their influence extended, they 
hampered the plans of the government; but their number was small 
and the Kentucky organization was ranked at Washington among the 
best. 

The committees formed were to deal with home problems during 
the war. While the sons and daughters were to go over seas and 
many older men to Washington, the women of mature years must 
form the home guard. They must register for service; go into the 
homes and impress on housekeepers the necessity of saving food 
and using substitutes; they were to interest the children and grown 
people also in planting war gardens; they must look after the health 
of the children and see to it that the schools were not closed; they 
were to take an interest in the women workers, especially those who 
would take the places of men; they were to help in the liberty loans, 
they were to see that all communications sent to the women from 
Washington were distributed throughout the State; they were to guard 
the recreation of the young people, and they were to see to it that 
home charities did not suffer in the midst of war work. 

The first request from the Washington committee came in the 
form of copies, of the President's war message which were put into 
the hands of the drafted men when they registered. Our boys must 
know why they were called to fight the Hun at the very first period 
"of their training as soldiers. 

Then came the distribution of food pledges and literature, the 
first Liberty Loan, the drive for 25,000 Student Nurses to fill vacan- 
cies in military and civil hospitals, the carrying out of "Children's 
Year" planned by the Children's Bureau, the Second Liberty Loan, 
and finally the enlistment of our interest in the returning soldier, in his 
surroundings and his job. 

Very soon we found that a manual must be prepared which would 
direct the many women who called at the State office to ask what 
they could do to help win the war. This little manual was our first 
publication and served its purpose well. Later on it was supplemented 
by a larger one, prepared at Washington, which directed the energies 
of the women into wider fields of service. 

Our next publication was a war cook book prepared by Miss 
Mary Sweeney. It is a tremendously patriotic little volume explaining 
the use of substitutes for lard and flour and sugar, and placing the 



92 

whole question of food saving on a par with military service in the 
field. S,000 copies of this little book were distributed throughout 
the State and smoothed the brow of many a puzzled housekeeper 
whose patriotism was being sorely tested in her efforts to follow Mr. 
Hoover"s directions, and, at the same time, keep the men of the 
family in a good humor. Dr. Shaw won great applause last spring 
in her address to the women of the Council of Defense, when she 
exclaimed, 'Yes, Mr. Hoover, we promise to use the substitutes and 
make all the mixtures, if you will see that the men eat them." 

The third and last publication of the Kentucky Committee is a 
pageant written by Miss Ethel Allen Murphy called "The Triumph 
of Humanity." It is a beautiful presentation of the real meaning of 
the war. We hope it will be given by every school in the State. Our 
children need very much to know the true significance of the struggle 
and may be taught it by taking part in the pageant better than by any 
written history. 

Now that our work is about completed we feel that the women 
of the Kentucky Division, Council of National Defense, are quite ready 
for Community Council organization. They, better than others, know 
the ground that must be covered. For two years they have carried out 
the requests coming from Washington among their own friends and 
neighbors. 

It was during the drive for student nurses that the limelight 
was turned on the lack of education in our State. Kentucky's quota 
was 700. We sent in, after weeks of labor, 234. Four years of high 
school training was required for entrance into military hospitals, and 
one year for civilian hospitals. It was an interesting study of girl life. 
There came into the office in Louisville a few girls who had the nec- 
essary education, and were eager to go, but could not get the consent 
of their parents; girls who had substituted a business course for high 
school training; business girls who would gladly have changed their 
work for nursing but who could not afford to give up the salary they 
were receiving; girls w r hose best beloved had gone over seas, and 
who wanted to go too, and some of the pitiful painted creatures who 
had none of the necessary qualifications. Meantime the County Unit 
Chairmen were busy in their respective locations and were encounter- 
ing the same difficulties. Our girls had all the patriotism in the 
world, but lacked the education necessary, or the consent of parents. 

We must remember in this connection the vast number of young 
Kentuckians who could not sign their names when they were drafted 
into the service. A young officer overheard this exchange of sentences 
between two of our boys at Camp Taylor. The first boy had received 
a letter from some one at home, and came up to the second one with 
the question: "Can you read writin'?" "Naw, I can't read readin'," was 
the pathetic answer. This was multiplied many times. So it seems in 
our community work there is nothing so important as better educa- 



93 

tion. These County Unit Chairmen could very easily be induced Lo 
enter into a friendly rivalry for better schools, for consolidated schools, 
for better roads, connecting the schoolhouse to the home, and for bet- 
ter salaries for teachers. 

Then came the influenza epidemic, and the women of the State 
dropped everything else and grappled with this dreadful disease. They 
nursed the sick with fear in their hearts, but with heroic unselfishness 
—many of them laid down their lives in consequence. I can truthfully 
say that no report I sent to Washington of the work of the Kentucky 
Division was given with the same pride as the short one that went 
saying: "All the work has been stopped. Our women are nursing in- 
fluenza." There was revealed to us during these distressful days our 
lack of nurses, and the ignorance of many communities of the simplest 
laws of sanitation. The Woman's Committee at once formed the de- 
termination to do something to remedy the situation, and called on 
the County Units to appeal to local Red Cross Chapters and fiscal 
courts to add to the State contribution and raise the salary of at least 
one public health nurse in each county. This work was under way, 
when the State Federation, through its president, requested the priv- 
ilege of carrying it on and it was so ordered. 

The Woman's Committee has been organized in 101 counties, 
and in the remaining 19 counties there are food chairmen who would 
represent the committee in any community work undertaken. In 
Christian, McCrac&en, Campbell, Kenton and Fayette counties the 
organization is especially complete, and in some remote mountain 
districts our chairman have done valuable work by distributing 
literature sent from Washington among the people. No other organ- 
ization ever linked the women of the State to the Federal govern- 
ment, no other organization of women ever reached the obscure rural 
woman, and made her feel that she was a part of the great democracy. 
Lunacy decreased among farm women during the war in one state 
where the survey was made, 40 per cent. 1 feel very sure that the 
literature so liberally supplied by the Government and sent into 
country homes by the Woman's Committee had much to do with this — 
literature on food topics, on child welfare, on patriotic themes, etc. 

We have sent out from the State headquarters in Louisville a 
letter to the County Unit Chairmen explaining the very simple way 
in which the work of this war organization is being gradually turned 
over to permanent organizations of women. Children's year closes April 
1st, a year rendered almost futile in its last two drives, "Back to the 
School," and "Keep in School," by influenza. As a survey is now in 
progress in Kentucky in the interest of child welfare by the Child 
Labor Association, we feel that our child welfare committee is no 
longer needed. 

The women in industry committee has been merged into the 
Consumers' League of Kentucky, thereby greatly strengthening that 
organization. 



94 

The work of the health and recreation committee should go on in 
each community indefinitely. There should be a censorship board in 
every town, composed of men and women who would have jurisdiction 
over the picture shows, vaudeville and the public dance halls that are 
doing so much to undermine the moral standards of America. Whole- 
some recreation is absolutely necessary. Why are we willing to leave 
so much of it in the hands of the devil? This is a definite and very 
necessary piece of work for a community council. 

The only committee whose work is incomplete is the American- 
ization-Education Committee, which is now under the leadership of 
Mrs. Morris Gifford and Miss Alexina Booth. There is no doubt that a 
desire for better educational institutions is in the hearts of many 
Kentucky men and women at this time. We haven't a serious problem 
of the foreign born, but our native born boys and girls must be taught 
what it means to be a citizen of this great country, this country 
which has been the refuge of those who have been denied liberty in 
their own lands, which has been permitted to play a magnanimous 
part in the war, sending men and women and food and clothing to 
the suffering peoples of Europe. These children must have better 
schools, free from the control of politicians; they must be fitted for 
honorable, independent lives. It was not necessary to "stab the con- 
sciences" of women "broad awake," as Stevenson puts it. For many 
years Kentucky women have studied her institutions and, denied the 
vote for some reasons best known to a few Kentucky men, have 
pleaded with legislatures for progressive measures, with some degree 
of success. 

One thing is very sure, the war has developed a new realization of 
power in women. Banded together in Council of Defense work — Red 
Cross, Liberty Loan campaigns and parades, they have accomplished 
what seemed impossible tasks, and the government has recognized and 
acknowledged the share they had in winning the war. This great 
army of women is ready now to throw its strength into forward move- 
ments for better education, for better public health and for the de- 
velopment of a more united citizenship. They want a large share in 
Kentucky's development. 



95 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION. 

Dr. Frank L. McVey, President, University of Kentucky, 

Presiding. 

Address by E. W. Burr, District Counsel United States 
Reclamation Service, Denver, Colorado. 

Subject: "The Soldier on the Land." 
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: 

It is a great pleasure to be with you and to take part in the pro- 
ceedings of this conference. Nevertheless I am sorry that Dr. Elwood 
Mead is not able to be here. He had made complete arrangements 
to come to Lexington, but Secretary Franklin K. Lane insisted that 
he remain in Washington for the conference of governors now being 
held in the White House. 

Dr. Mead would have been able to have given you a more com- 
prehensive view of the soldier settlement program than I shall be 
able to do. He is a man of international experience and world-wide 
observation in governmental land settlement enterprise. 

Briefly to outline the plan proposed for the soldier on the land: 

THE SOLDIER SETTLEMENT PLAN 

The plan proposed is that of the appropriation by Congress of the 
sum of one hundred million dollars to secure land and to construct 
reclamation projects of sufficient area so that communities of not 
less than one hundred soldiers and their families may be located on 
each project. The term "soldier" is conveniently used to include 
soldiers, sailors and marines who have served either at home or 
abroad in the armed forces of the nation. It is estimated that the 
appropriation would provide homes for about twenty-five thousand 
families and projects will be located so far as practicable through- 
out the country. 

THE NATION'S LANDED ASSETS 

As has been remarked by Secretary Lane, the part which the 
veterans of the American Civil War took in the development of the 
great west is one of the epics of our history. The great free west, 
however, is how a thing of the past and the present day veterans will 
find no land available for men not possessed of considerable capital. 

Since long before Rome found it necessary to provide for her 
legendaries land has been one of the great necessities at the close 
of war. 

There yet remain three classes of landed assets which may be 
utilized for the soldiers after means for reclamation have been car- 
ried out. These are: First, the arid and semi-arid lands lying roughly 



96 

■west of the 100th meridian, reclaimable by irrigation; second, the 
swamp and overflowed lands in the south, the Mississippi Valley, sev- 
eral of the states bordering on the Great Lakes, the Sacramento Va! 
ley, in California, and smaller areas in many parts of the country, 
these sections being reclaimable by drainage; and third, the logged- 
en and cut-over areas to be found in the lake states, the south. 
various parts of the east and on the Pacific slope, reclaimable by the 
removal of stumps and undergrowth. 

There is a fourth class of landed" assets which may be utilized, 
namely, lands now under cultivation but poorly tilled and susceptible 
under cooperative community methods of being made highly pro- 
ductive. These areas are, many of them, in large holdings and ia 
many instances they are owned by non-residents and farmed by ten- 
ants. In almost all parts of the country and even within fifty miles 
of some of our largest cities waste, run down or badly tilled lands 
are to be found and these may. I am informed, frequently be purchased 
at reasonable prices, such that their value to settlers under proper 
management would be many times their price 

The federal government has been in reclamation work as re- 
gards irrigation since 1902, and land has been reclaimed from arid 
or semi-arid conditions in seventeen western states upon twenty-seven 
projects. The settlers have never been financed by the government 
to an extent greater than the construction of the irrigation works 
and the delivery of water to individual tracts. The United States 
has said to them: "Here is the water, build your homes, level your 
land for irrigation, provide yourselves with all the necessary build- 
ings, equipment, tools and seed and support your families as best you 
may until you can place your desert holdings upon a paying basis and 
in the meantime begin the repayment of the cost to the United 
States." 

The result has been that upon the majority of the government 
projects 'there has been a period of severe hardship and numbers of 
tixe original settlers, stalwart and energetic as many of them were. 
Lave, in far too many cases, been obliged to leave their homes and 
sell such improvements as they had been able to make to a second 
ci even a third or fourth settler upon the same tract. 

The federal reclamation work is proving a splendid success and 
the projects, many of them, have already attained complete success. 
while the others are rapidly reaching similar achievement. This has, 
nevertheless, been at a large cost in uneconomic hardship and in the 
failure of many of the original settlers. The difficulty has been that 
men of large financial ability generally preferred to seek homes in 
more advanced communities, while men of small means often found 
themselves unable to meet the financial burdens necessary. 



97 

WHAT SHALL BE DONE FOR THE SOLDIERS? 

In the main, the soldiers will have even less financial means than 
those who sought homes upon the present reclamation projects, and 
if the American people are to embark upon a soldier settlement pro- 
gram, it is necessary for them to give the men a financial system 
which will permit of average success and security for the return of 
the funds invested. This means not only long-continued financial 
backing upon an amortization plan, but it also means that the gov- 
ernment must go much further than it has yet done in financing the 
settler. 

The plan advocated by Secretary Lane, and which has been tried 
out under the superintendence of Dr. Mead, in Australia and Cali- 
fornia, includes not only the securing for the settlers of the land and 
the reclamation works, but also the construction of dwellings, out- 
buildings,, wells and fences, the preparation of the land for farming 
and the actual stocking and equipment of individual farms. 

Such a plan would put the soldier into possession of a farm upon 
which he would be able to make a living approximately from the 
very start. It is proposed that repayment of the principal and four 
per cent interest shall be made over an amortization period of forty 
years by means of an annual payment of five per cent. 

One of the features of the plan is that the soldiers will be given 
ample opportunity for work upon the projects whereby it will be 
possible for them to secure money for a payment down upon the 
farm after the projects have been completed. Opportunities will be 
furnished by \ the necessary construction work from common labor 
thru most of the trades to the highest engineering ability, so that it 
will be practicable even from the soldiers to require a payment 
down. 

The Australian colonies under similar financial plans have shown 
a very high degree of success on the part of settlers; in New South 
Wales, for example, ninety-five per cent of the men have been able 
to make their payments and even where default was made the gov- 
ernment's security proved ample. 

WHY ADOPT A SOLDIER SETTLEMENT PLAN? 

There are several points of departure from which the present 
proposed government policy may be considered, and if due considera- 
tion is given, the result, I believe, is several lines of thought con- 
verging to the conclusion that it is exceedingly desirable that a na- 
tional soldiers' land settlement policy be immediately inaugurated. 
There is time for but three points: 



98 

THE LABOR NEED. 

It would be absolutely trite to enlarge upon the unsettling effect 
of the great war upon the world's labor market or its influence 
upon the mind of laboring classes everywhere. The comparatively 
brief experience of America in the war has somewhat lessened, or pos- 
nibly delayed, labor difficulties of this country, but the readjustment 
period has hardly begun and there are dangerous conditions in many 
parts of the country. 

It is imperative that the government adopt wise measures 
whereby the labor situation may be successfully cared for during the 
years which may ensue before the international adjustment of in- 
dustry shall have been effected. For this reason several measures 
have been introduced and advocated in Congress looking toward the 
construction of federal public works and the absorption therein of 
large numbers of men of almost all grades of skill. Most of these pro- 
posals have been directed toward the building of roads or other pub- 
lic works involving a permanent outlay of federal funds. 

The soldier settlement plan, however, contemplates that every 
dollar that shall be expended will be returned by the soldiers with 
four per cent interest. The employment of labor of many grades, 
valuable as it is intrinsically under present conditions, would be much 
more valuable in the output which would be realized as a result of the 
contemplated expenditure. Homes will be made, citizenship safe- 
guarded, agricultural returns will be greatly increased and the 
wealth, prosperity and stability of the country enhanced without 
any permanent outlay whatever from the federal treasury. 

THE AGRICULTURAL NEED. 

The thoughtful men of the country for several decades have been 
deploring the steady movement taking place over the country away 
from the farms and toward the cities. The percentage of the popula- 
tion living in rural communities and that dependent upon agriculture 
for a livelihood has been steadily decreasing. Moreover, the proportion 
of tenant farms to the whole number of farms has been steadily 
mounting while the average per acre crops of almost all staples con- 
trasts very poorly with the agricultural figures of other lands. In 
spite of great increases in population large areas of land once profit- 
ably tilled have been abandoned. 

Two causes for this unfortunate development only may be re- 
ferred to. One is the arduous financial conditions which the farmer 
has confronted for many years. The farmers in this country, and 
tbose who have desired to become farmers, have had less help from 
the banking and financial interests than similar classes in almost 
any other progressive country in the world. Moreover, until the 
Federal Farm Loan Act was passed they had received practically no 



99 

assistance from the federal government. This act affords a great 
measure of relief to farmers who are able to give first mortgage se- 
curity, but to those wh« desire to acquire homes no relief in the main 
is granted. Other nations, irrespective of the great war, have de- 
veloped progressive methods whereby men have been enabled to 
acquire farm homes and meanwhile make a living for their families, 
while the United States is lagging far behind. Under the plan pro- 
posed the United States is preparing to provide for a soldier desiring 
to farm a fiscal method comparable in point of progressiveness with 
those of other nations in so far as the soldier is concerned. Whether 
such a policy, is necessary in general for the nation it is certainly due 
to the soldiers. 

The other cause for the drift to the cities, to which I shall refer, 
is the hardship of pioneering and the isolation of farm life, particu- 
larly in its effect upon women. The time has gone by when wives 
will willingly live and bring up their families in isolation from other 
homes and undergo the hardships which were met in earlier days. 
They insist upon living conditions for themselves and their children 
comparable to those in more settled communities. The pioneering 
days were romantic but the effect was wasteful in human energy 
and whether for bad or for good, the pioneering days are evidently 
over. 

A part of the plan of Secretary Lane, and one upon which he has 
laid great stress in his addresses to Congressional committees on 
the soldier settlement bill, is his proposal, if the authority is granted 
to him, to assist the soldier colonies to become genuinely progres- 
sive, cooperative communities having a social life of value to men, 
women and children. He believes that there is no necessity for the 
old type, of isolation or the old individualism, but that farmers in 
common with men of other callings, are fully entitled to the bejfefits 
of cooperation in their pleasures and in their livelihood. 

Community ownership of the more expensive and less used im- 
plements, community planning as to varieties of stock and purchasing 
of necessaries, community dairying and community buying and mar- 
keting are within contemplation. Moreover, the improvement of 
schools and a better class of local highways are matters to which 
Secretary Lane has devoted his attention. 

THE PATRIOTIC NEED. 

The nation could ill afford to have the great war end and to 
present to the men who risked their lives no exceptional opportunity, 
in so far as they may desire, to secure homes upon the land. A 
large percentage of the men who were brought into the armed forces 
of the United States are from the farms of the country and will wish 
to return to farm life. 



100 

Every man who secures a farm home is a bulwark to American- 
ism and not only will he he entitled to'prMe in the possession which 
has come to him partially as a reward for his services, but others 
will be entitled to pride in the fact that service to the United States 
does not go entirely unrewarded. 

FARMS VERSUS PENSIONS. 

And yet, at the same time, this pride will not be tinctured in 
the slightest with any admixture of the sense of dependence or of 
undue help. Our soldiers do not desire that. The help which is ex- 
tended is in the nature of a loan — not a gift — and the soldier-farmer 
is not deprived of his initiative or his responsibility in the matter of 
making good. 

This plan may seem to some paternalism, but compared with the 
old pension system it breathes the spirit of independence. It should 
be remembered that although it is over fifty years since the Civil War 
closed the annual expenditure for pensions runs in the neighborhood 
of two hundred and twenty-five million dollars annually. 

WHAT OTHER NATIONS ARE DOING. 

It is not practicable to outline to you the accomplishment and the 
proposals of other countries along the line of soldier settlement. It 
is sufficient to say that Great Britain, France and Italy, South African 
Union, the Australian Commonwealth and the individual Australian 
states, the Canadian government and several of the Canadian states 
and New Zealand all have land settlement policies which they are 
engaged in carrying out and which look forward to the expenditure 
of large sums of money. 

In Australia the land settlement policy several years antedated 
the war and has been entirely successful. If the United States were 
to embark upon a program of expenditure equal in proportion to its 
population, with that of the Australian government, the proposal would 
be to expend for the soldiers the sum of, not one hundred million dol- 
lars, but four billion dollars. 

With all the great unused lands of the country, all the latent 
patriotism which has been aroused by the war, and all our pride in 
our men in arms, it cannot be that the American people will be the 
only one of the progressive nations, great or small among the allies, 
which will not expend or loan a dollar in carrying out a national 
soldier settlement policy. Several American states are already lead- 
ing the way, appropriations having been made by some and in others 
provision for bond issues running into several millions are now auth- 
orized or awaiting an election. These laws, however, look forward 
in the main to cooperation with the United States under the plan 
now proposed. 



101 

AMERICAN GRATITUDE. 

Our soldiers, sailors and marines are certainly entitled to our 
gratitude and have it in abundant measure in our personal and public 
expressions. This, however, will turn cold and artificial unless it is 
followed up with a national policy somewhat in harmony with thos'e 
that are being adopted by other English-speaking governments; nor 
can we expect any other outcome than the loss of many of our young 
■veterans to other nations, whose words of gratitude are better sup- 
ported by deed unless our national policy shall materilaize. 

Such a policy is rapidly materializing and this government will, 
1 believe, undertake a program which will be found sufficient. 



Address by Rodman Wiley, Commissioner of Public Roads 
for Kentucky. 

Subject: "Good Roads." 

I consider it a great, honor to be invited to make a talk on 
"Good Roads" on this occasion, when we are dealing with the broad 
subjects which affect the general welfare of this Commonwealth. 

I am indeed glad to know that all sensible people of this state, 
who naturally are interested in its upbuilding, have come to realize 
the fact that good roads are necessary before it is possible to have 
much development. In other words, the real development • of any 
community, any county, any state, or any nation, follows instead of 
preceding the building of roads. The history of the world has been 
a history of transportation facilities. In the early times, the Med- 
iterranean served as a means of transportation and consequently we 
find that civilization centered there. Show me a county without good 
roads, a state without good roads, and I will show you a county or 
a state that is poor compared with a county or state of equal size 
and equal resources that has good highways. 

Whether a nation is at war or peace, roads are necessary. The 
soldiers on the march must have good roads in order to make time 
and to save themselves from physical exhaustion, and you know that 
a nation with good highways is able almost at a moment's notice to 
send its armies to the front. They are necessary to send food, ammu- 
nition and reinforcements. In this world war from which we have 
just emerged, everyone is aware of the fact that the allies never for 
one moment neglected the highways. Thousands of engineers and 
hundreds of thousands of men were constantly kept busy building 
roads. Without quoting exactly, it is said that Napoleon, at the close 
of his career, stated that the roads that he had given to France 
would prove to be the greatest thing he had ever done. The Duke 



102 • . 

of Wellington, when embarking upon a military campaign, stated to 
his superiors, "What we need, my lords, is roads, roads, roads." And 
so with many other noted men. Our great President is a good roads 
enthusiast and is in a large measure responsible for our Federal 
Road Act. The same is true of the U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, 
and of all the cabinet officers. Governor A. O*. Stanley is the greatest 
good road governor that Kentucky has ever had. The governors of all 
the states are now deeply interested in the road question. 

We find most states ready and glad to furnish sufficient money 
to build good highways. 

It is unnecessary for me to dwell upon the advantages of good 
roads before such an enlightened audience. I would like to tell you 
some of the problems that cor. front the State Road Department of this 
state, and to ask you to give us your assistance in this great work. 

It is absolutely impossible for me or my assistants to devote 
sufficient time to the education of the people of this state on the 
cjuestion of good roads. The major portion of our time is consumed 
in seeing that the work is properly done, according to accepted en- 
gineering principles, and we must rely on the farmer, the banker, the 
statesman, the railroad president, and in fact men in every walk of 
J6*e, to create good roads sentiment. Why cannot the "Four Min- 
ute" men start an active campaign in every county? 

We have found that some of the counties do not believe a 
good county road engineer is necessary. It may be that a few counties 
now have inefficient men, but, for any of the counties of this state 
the State Road Department stands ready to recommend to them a com- 
petent county road engineer. It is believed that a man to be a county 
road engineer should have both theoretical and practical experience 
and good common sense. He should be of pleasing personality, a 
good handler of men, have initiative, diplomacy and above all things, 
should be absolutely honest. If a man possesses those qualifications, 
he will make any county a good man, and work done under his direc- 
tion will be done in such a way that the people will receive full 
value for every cent invested, and it would not be very long before 
he would have the absolute confidence of the entire people of the 
county. 

The department recommends a man only on one condition, that is: 
We absolutely guarantee to the fiscal court and to the people of the 
county that the one named will fill their requirements, and we 
allow the court and the people to pass upon them — to be the sole judges 
as to whether or not he is the proper man, and they would not in that 
case bind themselves in any way. If at any time they conclude that 
he is not the man for the place, we will gladly relieve them of his 
services at a moment's notice. 

It will be readily appreciated by all that no department could 
afford to take such chances without being fairly well assured that it 



103 

knows exactly what is needed in any county. I would like Cor the peo- 
ple of this state to carefully weigh what I have said. I want to know 
if they could expect me to do more in the way of securing com- 
petent men. I want to know furthermore if they will back me in 
this movement. If they do, it is incumbent upon them to see that 
such recommendations are put in force and effect where needed. If 
they do not approve of my plan, then I would like for. them to tell me 
freely and frankly, because we must have the backing of the people 
cf this state in every road movement- undertaken. 

Roads cost a great deal of money. It is now necessary to build 
a higher type of road than was built even a few years ago because 
traffic is constantly changing and is increasing from year to year. 
It is r.ecessary to allow a good factor of safety to take care of the 
probable increase in the volume and kinds cf traffic. Under the 
present road law, the counties take the initiative in everything; 
concerning road matters. In the first place, the county applies for 
state aid, designates the roads to be improved, advertises and lets 
the contracts and starts work whenever it pleases. It will be easily 
appreciated that one county will want a road built in one direction and 
another county in another direction, and that there will be no con- 
certed plan to build through roads. The fact will also be realized 
that with the small amount of the state road fund and the cost of 
building roads in many sections of our state, and the small amount 
of money at the disposal of the fiscal court in the various counties, 
that it will require several decades before we will be able to have 
what might be termed a good system of roads in every county in this 
state. I want, therefore, at this time, to most heartily endorse, in 
general, the plan suggested by Prof. D. V. Terrell, of this University, 
viz.: 

That there should be designated by the state legislature a state 
highway system which would comprise all the inter-county seat roads 
in the state; these roads to be built and maintained by the state and 
the rational government. The fact is appreciated that it would mean 
an enormous mileage of roads, but I am free to say that I do not be- 
lieve any other system will satisfy the people of this state, and the 
inter-county seat system will guarantee that every county will re- 
ceive the same consideration, no favoritism being possible. 

It might also be necessary to designate a few other main market 
roads because it has been found that in some counties a few of the 
roads were more important than the inter-county seat roads, but that 
is a matter of detail and can be worked out to the satisfaction of 
every one concerned. 

Especially do I endorse this plan at this time because Congress 
has only recently amended the Federal Aid Road Bill, so as to vastly 
increase the apportionment to the states. In order for the state to 
secure enough money to properly carry on the work, I would suggest 



104 



there be 3 road tax of 20c on the $100.00 and the 

. • license fees be doubled. With a two billion assessment the 
svould bring in about four million dollars, and I believe if 
the automobile license fees were doubled that source would pro- 
duce practically a million dollars, which would gi\~e a state road fund 
five million dollars per annum. 1 am aware of the fact that 
ted could not be put into effect until the year 
ssed at the next session of the legislature, it would 
ble to wait one year in order to collect the fund for 19*20, 
because ore year's state fund should be available before starting 
[ in order to be able to pay for the work., and besides it would 
require about a year to prepare plans for work on such an enormous 

I believe there are many advantages to the scheme which has 
been suggested. In the first place, I believe the people of this state are 
ready and willing to fui ney to build roads, provided they are 

sured that the money will be judiciously expended. I 
would not suggest a larger amount because I am free to say to you 
that I do not believe, at present, with the small number of con- 
tractors in this state, £.nd the comparatively small number of trained 
■-ers and inspectors, that the State Road Department could 
judiciously handle much more moi-ey than would be raised by the 
outlined, but we can handle that much and any less amount 
will be insufficient. 

I consider it very superior to a tond issue, because by the pro- 

- hod every cent would go to building roads and not to the 

Paying of interest or retiring of bonds. The people would have the 

iviiege that, if they were not satisfied with the law. it could 

be repealed; whereas, if they were saddled with a bond issue and 

thing went wrong, there would be no recourse and it is well that 

the public should always have some recourse in all matters where their 

monr- bake. 

A large per cent of the money would be spent both under state 

. and in all events, every cent expended would 

neering supervision, and everybody knows at this time 

y feature of road building is an engineering problem. Every 

cent would be accounted for. the proper type of roads would be built 

Lo suit the traffic, roads would be properly located and properly 

ained the very day they were completed. 

For the fiscal year 1919 Kentucky will receive from the federal 

government $1,562,265.00; for the fiscal year 1920, $1.S65,044.00; for 

the fiscal year 1921, $1,953,750.00. 

The fiscal year 1921 marks the end of the present Federal Aid 
Road Act. but none of us believe that the federal government will 
stop giving aid for the building of roads at that time, but we do be- 
iment will be largely increased. 



105 

Owing to the fact that' the proposed scheme could not he put 
into effect before 1921. and that ? several million dollars 

federal aid fund that must be taken up by the state before that time, 
i: is necessary for us in the meantime to make provisic e care 

of the federal aid which has been allotted, or will be allotted to this 
state, or else the federal government will redistribute it to other 
states. 

The counties in Kentucky have not sufficient money at present to 
properly do federal aid, state aid or even county work, and we are 
strongly advocating that the 20c road tax be immediately voted in 
every county. Our present law allows a fiscal court to authorize such 
an election. To date, seventeen counties have already voted the tax, 
and since January 1st, of this j en counties have called 

the election and it is highly probable that many more counties will 
authorize an election in the next month or so. and T want to strongly 
impress upon each and every man the fact that a tax for roads is 
purely an investment and that bad roads re than good roads. 

Whenever you have bad roads, you pay a tax winch is far in excess 
of a tax for good roads. No county, and no state that has in- 
money in roads would be willing to give up those roads provided the 
money they cost was returned. George Ade has well said: "Good roads 
cost money, but show me a community which has invested in hard 
roads, such as can be used at all times of the year, and which now 
would be willing to go back to the mud holes for a cash considera- 
tion." I think the fact that the people would not be willing to sell 
the roads for what they cost is just proof that roads are a good in- 
vestment. 

I would like to ask every man here to use all of his influence to 
help us in this, movement. Explain it to your neighbors in such a 
way that there will be no trouble in carrying the 20c tax in any 
county where an election is called. 

The plan which I have endorsed is one from which I believe 
good results will be obtained. I am suggesting it at this time because 
I think the people should have time to think it over carefully between 
now and the time the legislature convenes, and if any man has a 
better scheme, we want to hear from him and adopt it because we 
want the best thing possible for our state. I would be glad if this 
were given the widest publicity in order that everybody can be heard 
on the subject. 

As far as I am personally concerned, it is a great deal easier 
for me to attempt to do a little work than a large amount, but I am 
not content to sit idle and see our state suffer for the need of good 
roads, and I intend just as long as I am in office to do everything in 
my power to try to get good roads in every comity in this state; and I 
ask the earnest support of every man. woman and child who must 
be interested in the state we all love — Kentucky. 



10G 



Address by Charles F. Huhlein, Louisville, Ky. 

Subject: "Conmiercial Organizations." 

Kentucky problems and their solution have been very ably dis- 
cussed by speakers who have preceded nie in this notable conference. 
The situation, the needs and remedies in such important departments 
of our public affairs as education, health, patriotism, recreation and 
good roads have been presented in such a forceful way that we are 
all stirred to action. Especially interesting and inspiring were the 
addresses on community organization. It seems to me that most of 
the work that needs to be done along the lines just mentioned can be 
promoted and largely accomplished through commercial organizations. 
Several decades ago State Commercial and Development Conventions 
were held in Kentucky every few years. At these conventions the 
principal themes of discussion centered around "our great natural re- 
sources and geographical advantages," and the resolutions usually 
adopted called for the advertising of these resources to the world, 
and invited the outside world to bring in capital and immigration 
to help develop the State. Good seed was sown and successive con- 
ventions resolved more and more on practical methods of self-help. 
Now various trades, such as the manufacturers, bankers, coal mine 
operators, lumbermen, and retail hardware and implement dealers have 
their State wide organizations, holding annual conventions. About 
fifteen of the larger cities and towns each have a local business men's 
organization and it is of the great opportunities for usefulness of these 
that I wish to speak. 

STATE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 

As a result of meetings of the State Tax Reform Association 
and of previous State Commercial and Industrial Conventions, a 
State Chamber of Commerce was formed and Mr. Robert F. Vaughan 
was elected president, at Frankfort, in February, 1917. At that time 
about thirtj'-five local organizations participated, but due to the de- 
mands of war activities in every direction which held the center of 
interest, insufficient revenues and various distracting influences, many 
of these are not active at this time, However, all of these organiza- 
tions were a nucleus and powerful factors in supporting the several 
war-winning organizations and patriotic campaigns of 1917-1918. Now 
that the demands for strictly war-winning activities have ceased it 
is likely that local commercial organizations that have been dormant 
will be revived. 

COUNTY SEAT ORGANIZATIONS. 

Most of our county seats are now without a business men's organ- 
ization. Every one of them should have one. Many of them have had 
such an organization, but allowed them to die from various causes, 



107 



such as. lack of interest, lack of team work or co-operative spirit, bad 
management, lack of leadership, attempting too many things at one 
time, petty politics and small jealousies. 

The following letter from an average Kentucky county seat indi- 
cates some of the many opportunities and needs for a commercial 
club, which usually is the simplest form of local business men's organ- 
ization: 

"At the present time there are two communities within four 
miles of each other, making efforts to establish loose leaf tobacco 
houses. The county does not need more than one, and a business 
men's legaue or commercial club could, if composed of the right men, 
harmonize the petty jealousies that are causing a separation of these 
two communities, and induce them to combine their efforts to the 
advantage of all. We have another disturbance here in the telephone 
business in which country lines are threatening to withdraw from 
the county exchange. This question could be dealt with satisfactorily 
and the parties, brought together by a commercial club. A large 
amount of energy and money that are dissipated in individual effort 
could be concentrated and made to be of benefit to the county through 
work of a live commercial club. The club should be ahle to render 
assistance to the town governments in matters pertaining to the pub- 
lic welfare, public improvements, etc., not as a governing body, but 
in an advisory capacity, for the reason that many city and county 
officials fall into certain grooves, or routines, and the club, not being 
directly connected with the governing body, is able to see and sug- 
gest better methods, improvements, etc. Of course, in order to be 
effective, the club must consist Of intelligent, wide-awake men and 
women." ^ 

GOOD ACCOMPLISHED. 

In every town where commercial clubs were allowed to die out 
it is stated that they had accomplished much good, usually nearly all 
that they had earnestly and unitedly worked for; regret is expressed 
that the club was not kept alive and the hope expressed that the 
community spirit may be awakened and a business men's organiza- 
tion revived. 



WHAT A COMMERCIAL CLUB CAN DO. 

A business men's organization in every county seat and in every 
small town could find plenty of useful work to justify; its existence. 
If it could not do bigger things it could at least provide a rest room 
for the farmer's wife and children while in town shopping; make the 
town a more attractive place for the farmer and his family to visit 
or trade in; a better place for automobile parties to stop and spend 
their money. 



108 

CLUB FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND PROSPERITY. 

The club could Le a clearing house for presenting, testing and ap- 
plying the best ideas of the best people for community organization 
and welfare. Better schools, proper salaries for teachers, the roads, 

ultural development, farm and farm labor problems, the town 
loafer, law and order, in fact the whole range of topics affecting the 
civic and commercial welfare of town and county could be discussed 
and handled to the benefit of the entire community. The various depart- 
ments of our Goverment at Washington, our Agricultural Department 
at Frankfort, and the University of Kentucky at Lexington, are con- 
stantly issuing immensely valuable bulletins of great interest and 
value to every citizen. These might be discussed with special refer- 
ence to their adaptability to the respective communities. Farmers 
should be members of the commercial club along with the merchants 
and other town peole. A wonderful field is open to all citizens, men 
and women, to link up the interests of town and county by community 
organization for the mutual good of all interests of each and every 
county. A number of counties, county seats, towns and villages in our 
State are sadly behind those of similar population in respect to agri- 
culture, business and social conditions. Community uplift through 
community organization is the great need. A commercial club is the 
best means to do the work. 

THINGS TO DO. 

In general, in response to various inquiries, I would suggest the 
ving things to do: 
Have a simple organizaticn. 
Make team work the watchword. 

Have a good lookout committee, to pre ent a practical line of 
work. 

Take time to investigate carefully 

Consider all sides of a proposition before adopting resolutions or 
plans. 

One thing at a time is apt to beat too many things tried at once. 

prepared program with short speeches. 
Give every sensible man or woman a chance. 
Aim to make your town the best of it- size rather than the largest 
in the world. 

Bring to the front and advertise the conditions and things your 
town and county excel in. 

ike a sarvey of agricultural, industrial, civic and living con- 
ditions of your town and county. 

rid out what you have, what you lack and where you are. 
Give the young man a chance and everybody a square deal. 
Encourage home talent. 

/elop home talent and home industries. 



109 

"DON'TS," OR THINGS NOT TO DO. 

Don't form too elaborate or complicated an organization. 

Don't undertake too many things at one time. 

Don't split up and scatter. 

Don't meet too often without any definite program or business. 

Don't let politics or jealousies creep in. 

Don't decide things without careful investigation and full in- 
formation. 

Don't overlook the old fogies. Bring 'em in and make young en- 
thusiasts out of them. 

Don't keep the same people in office, or on committees too long. 
Put some new people to the front every year. 

Don't be discouraged if your progress is slow. Stick to it. 

Don't draw a circle that will shut anybody out, but draw a circle 
that will take every patriotic American citizen in — man or woman, 
young or old. 

INVITATION. 

The Louisville Board of Trade and doubtless also any of the 
business men's organizations of the larger Kentucky towns will gladly 
send a committee to any town in the State to help form a commercial 
club or similar organization. 



Address by Miss Elizabeth Breckinridge, Principal of Lou- 
isville Normal School. 

Subject: "The School as an Element of Community Organi- 
zation.' ' 

Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, President of Columbia University, 
says in a recent address: 'The war has definitely helped us. It has 
shortened by many years, perhaps by a generation, the path of pro- 
gress to clearer, sounder, and more constructive thinking as to edu- 
cation, its processes and its aims. We have been living in an era 
of reaction that has masqueraded as progress, and we have been 
witnessing energetic acts of destruction whose agents sang the songs 
and spoke the language of those who build." 

With Dr. Butler's last sentence I can scarcely agree. That we 
have today a clearer vision of what the schools should accomplish 
than we had before we entered the war there is no doubt; at the 
same time, any student of education will agree, I think, that in the 
last fifteen or twenty years, very definite progress has been made in 
our schools. Dr. Butler himself admits that "notwithstanding the 
sharp criticism of the American school and college education in the 
past two decades, the American people, and particularly the American 



110 

soldiers, showed themselves capable of the most striking accomplish- 
ments in the shortest time through the possession of almost unequaled 
initiative, resourcefulness and zeal for service." 

The questions arising then are: What are the schools accomplish- 
ing today? And how might they accomplish more? 

As Dr. Snedden has said, in the school system of Gary, Indiana, 
we have an example of the theory, at least, of what the schools 
should accomplish. It is not my purpose to discuss here the extent to 
which the aims of the Gary idea are realized in practice. The work- 
ing out of an experiment takes time, and this one is new. One of the 
striking features of this system is that all of the school plant is 
used all of the available time. The program of the average city 
school provides approximately one thousand hours a year for school 
and over three thousand a year for play in the streets. Their propor- 
tion of street and school time, according to Superintendent Wirt, 
should be reversed. That an expensive plant should be idle during 
all of Saturday and Sunday while street and alley time is undoing 
the good work of the school is a thorn in the flesh of this clear- 
sighted educator. That the plant should be idle is one loss, he 
argues, and that work already done should be undone is further loss. 

The Gary schools are also used, to a large extent, by adults in 
the evening and Saturday classes. At such times the laboratories and 
shops are used freely by druggists, mechanics, in fact by all those who 
wish to extend their education through study and experimentation. 
I was told several years ago when I was there that there were more 
adults enrolled in the evening and Saturday classes than there were 
children enrolled in the day school. 

Another very commendable feature of the Gary schools is the 
attempt made to unify all the agencies that have a part in a child's 
education. We find the public library, the church, industrial estab- 
lishments, the Y. M. C. A., Boy Scout w T ork all drawn into active 
co-operation with the school. 

Much attention is given to physical education. It has been found 
that waste due to ill health and lowered vitality is to a great 
extent eliminated by employing a large portion of the pupil's time 
in outdoor play under playground teachers especially trained for the 
work. The playgrounds are also used freely by the adults; in fact, 
the school is really the recreation center for the city. 

While I have only touched upon the "high spots" in the Gary sys- 
tem, I think you can see that back of the plan is the idea of making 
the school an important center for the activities of the community. 

In answer to our Government's call to mobilize the boy and girl 
power of the nation, and to arouse the patriotic spirit in every com- 
munity came the "community center" movement. This was an out- 
growth of a peace time movement variously known as the "social 
center," "civic center," or "neighborhood center," and which had as 
its main purpose the "wider use of the school plant." 



Ill 

A community center is defined as "a getting together of neigh- 
bors for the common weal." In every community there is a school 
building and a playground, or equipment of some kind which with 
little expense, in most cases, can be made useful for many adult ac- 
tivities of a social and educational nature. Such a use of a public 
school house seems only fair, especially for those who have had to 
stop school to earn a living and would otherwise have no opportunity 
for further education. 

During the war the community center and the schools held the 
"last line of defense" unbroken by their canning clubs, Red Cross 
work, war gardens, and many other war activities. Mr. Eugene Gib- 
ney, General Community Center Secretary for New York City, said 
of the community center last summer that it had "risen above the 
field of recreation, play, and fine art, and had encroached on the 
domain of family life, social intercourse, political association and 
education." 

One of the important functions of a community center is re- 
creation. To the ninety per cent of our children who never reach 
the high school, but who leave school between the ages of 14 and 
16 to go to work, the community center, with its various literary 
programs, concerts, dramatics, pictures, dances, games, etc., makes a 
strong appeal. These adolescent boys and girls, like the child, rep- 
resent "a power eager to be used but easy to be abused." 

The community center could hardly be left out of any modern 
educational program, and yet we should remember that upon the 
school falls the responsibility of its ultimate success, i. e., to give 
to the child an appreciation of the social and cultural advantages 
that will come to him as an adult member of a community center. 
In other wWds, the degree of interest which adults show in out of 
school activities of the community center type depends upon the 
place which these activities held in their daily program as school 
children. A boy, for example, who leaves school with an appreciation 
of the value of physical education will be apt to lend his support in 
later years to any movement that has as its purpose the development 
of greater physical efficiency. 

A pertinent question, therefore, and one closely related to the 
community center movement, is what are the schools over the country 
doing to develop into efficient citizens the "twenty million children 
in the public schools of America today?" What training are these 
children receiving for vocational efficiency? for physical efficiency? 
for leisure occupations? These are questions that are of vital im- 
portance to all school administrators and to makers of school curricula. 
And these questions are as purely social as they are educational, for 
many of the social problems have grown out of the fact that the 
school has failed, either to^jneet the individual needs of children, or 
to give that all round training necessary to enable them to adapt 
themselves to their places in society. 



112 

We have long since been forced to give up the idea that the 
education planned for the average child is adequate for all children. 
To meet the needs of the many classes the school program has ex- 
panded to include the vocational schools and special types of schools 
of many kinds. "In any survey of civilized conditions the most obvious 
thing," says Dr. Bobbitt, "is that men and women must work. The 
schools should, therefore, deal with every normal child," he con- 
tinues, "on the theory that when adulthood is reached he must earn 
his living." 

Today the more progressive school systems are striving to give 
to all classes a training that will enable them to make a living at 
some definite kind of work. Many of our boys and girls in Louisville, 
for example, get a training for their life work at our vocational school 
that is better suited to their needs than would be the purely academic 
high school training. 

Closely associated with vocational training is vocational guid- 
ance. This movement is spreading rapidly and the school is the logical 
place for its development. Because of long personal contact with 
pupils, the school has had better opportunity than any other agency to 
become acquainted with their abilities, interests and limitations. 
There is probably no movement in educationa that will do more to 
eliminate juvenile crime than vocational guidance. 'To realize its 
greatest effectiveness, however, the vocational guidance bureau should 
have its branch in the community center. The adult often needs voca- 
tional guidance quite as much as the immature boy or girl who leaves 
the school to go to work. 

The relation of vocational guidance to physical education is also 
significant. As soon as there is even a tentative plan of the child's 
future work made by parent and teacher there will immediately be 
the question, is he physically fit? "It makes a large difference," as 
Dr. Bobbitt says, "whether the level of vitality is maintained at fifty 
per cent of potential, or at one hundred per cent." There are many 
cases where the child's school experience makes little difference be- 
cause of the physical condition prevailing in his home. Nations were 
appalled at the extent of physical deficiency which was disclosed by 
the recent war. It was found among our soldiers that a large pro- 
portion of the defects discovered could have been prevented or re- 
moved by proper attention in growth. 

The more progressive school systems today provide medical in- 
spection, school lunches, physical training, etc,, and yet we seem 
hardly to have scratched the surface of thrs most important phase 
of training for efficient citizenship. It is the current opinion, however, 
that soon the physician and the nurse will be looked upon as educa- 
tional factors quite as important as the teacher himself. To be most 
effective, however, this physical training and health education must 
extend to the adult members of the home. Neighborhood health and 



113 

dental service should, therefore, go hand in hand with the physical 
education in the school. 

In the new schools of the future, "education for leisure occupa- 
tions will be recognized as one of the most serious educational tasks." 
Dr. Bobbitt in his new book, "The Curriculum," emphasizes the need 
of education for leisure occupations in these words: "Vocational edu- 
cation is receiving enthusiastic and liberal support because it promises 
increased production of corn and cotton, of machinery and clothing, 
and the other material means of life. Leisure occupations relate to the 
production, not of the means of life, but of life itself; of full rounded 
character and the maintenance of that character." He brings out the 
point that, with a labor week that meets general approval, a man 
has almost as much time for his leisure as for his work — also that 
play is as normal for adulthood as for childhood. The community 
center, with its opportunity for recreation and social intercourse, is 
an attempt to solve the leisure problem, which, as Dr. Bobbitt says, 
is quite as important as the labor problem. 

The question of how our schools may become greater agencies 
of social progress is answered, in the first place, by having better 
trained, better paid teachers. No teacher can be said to be adequately 
paid who does not receive a salary large enough to enable her to con- 
tinue her training, and no teacher can be said to be well trained who 
cannot have opportunities of advanced study as an inspiration for 
her teaching. 

We may have a wonderful vision of what the school should do — 
how it should be a great community center, reaching out into every 
phase of life in the community, but unless we have well trained, com- 
petent teachers — teachers conscious of their social mission, our ideals 
will never be realized. 

A second need of the school is a national system of education. A 
national system of education would mean that the "nation would set 
the standard for education for every community within its borders, 
and that there would be real co-ordination and genuine co-operation 
between national and local authorities in solving the educational 
problems." 

If the Federal educational bill now before the House passes, it will 
mean the establishment of a Department of Education as an execu- 
tive department of the government on an equality with the other 
executive departments, the secretary of which is to be a member of 
the Cabinet. It will mean national support of education throughout the 
country, and it will mean better trained and better paid teachers. 

The purpose of the department will not only be to study such 
problems as illiteracy, immigrant education, public health education, 
and recreation, preparation and supply of teachers, etc., but for 
the "betterment of conditions in the field indicated." 

Everyone interested in the future welfare of our nation should 
give this bill his unqualified support. 



Ill 

Never has the opportunity and the responsibility of the edu- 
cated man or woman been so great as now. Many of our educational 
theories, as Dr. Butler says, were burnt up along with the houses 
and shops and factories of Europe and upon us here in America as 
well as upon the people in Europe falls the task of reconstruction. 
No plan of reconstruction is complete that does not enlist the co- 
operation of all the people, and the war demonstrated beyond ques- 
tion that one of the most vital agents for securing this co-operation 
is the school community center. 



Synopsis of address by Professor C. S. Gardner, Southern 
Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. 

Subject: "The Church as a Factor in Community Life." 
The church is a very important factor in community life, and has 
always been. It has influenced that life in many ways; but for the 
most part its influence has been indirect, and too often incidental. 
The church and its ministers have been too exclusively interested in 
an other-worldly, post mortem salvation, and, in my judgment, have 
too often failed to bring their great power to bear directly upon the 
practical problems of life in the community. The church is a great 
dynamo, but it needs to be harnessed up more closely to the actual 
affairs of life in the community in which it is located. I think this 
would accomplish two good results. It would stimulate the interest 
of the people in the church and in the preaching and it would make 
the church a more powerful agent in directing the lives of the people 
along right lines. 

For instance, a preceding speaker has referred to three weak, 
slimly attended and uninteresting prayer meetings held in three sep- 
arate churches in a certain town and has suggested that they should 
be combined. Now, that might work very well in some places, and 
not in others and the probability is that the very sort of community 
he describes is where the effort to combine would meet more op- 
position than in any larger one. Anyhow, for my part, I can't see 
that much is to be accomplished by adding up zeros. The trouble 
seems to me to lie deeper. What we need is to put something into 
the prayer meeting that will make the people wish to attend it. If 
it could be made practical and inspiring, would not the attendance 
increase? I have been recommending this plan. Let the pastor in his 
regular ministry repeatedly call attention to the various forms of 
social welfare work carried on in his community, and to others that 
ought to be started. As he goes about among his people let him talk 
about them, and suggest to this member that he link himself up with 
one of these agencies, and to that member that he associate himself 



115 

with another, and so on with all his members. When his people enter 
into these various forms of community service they will have many 
interesting experiences and come face to face with many important, 
practical and intensely human problems. Then let them come to 
the prayer meeting, in which the church is supposed to be -assembled 
for informal conference and prayer, and talk about these interesting 
experiences and questions, and pray about them. That would give 
them something fresh and practical to talk about and something 
definite to pray for. Would not that help? I think it would be an 
improvement. 

The work of the church is spiritual. Its primary task is to link 
men to the Eternal, to plant their lives on the everlasting founda- 
tions. Let us not forget that. J[ yield to no man in emphasis upon 
that. Eut the added power thus brought to the lives of men the church 
should harness up to the activities of the community. In this way 
it will both conserve and develop the real spirituality of the people. 
The true function of the church is to spiritualize all the activities of 
life. 

What we need is a larger conception of what religious work is. 
When the ordinary minister or church member refers to "religious 
work" he generally has reference to a very limited set of activities. 
Now, all those activities are well enough; I certainly do not wish 
to depreciate them. But all work that ought to be done at all may 
be truly religious, and is religious in significance, whether we per- 
ceive it or not. All that it needs to become genuinely religious is to 
be viewed in the right way and carried on with the right motives. 
All this is especially true of those forms of work wherein we seek to 
enrich arid enlarge the lives of our fellow men. Let us broaden our 
definition of religious work. To me this has been a religious meeting. 
The questions we have been discussing have a very definite religious 
significance to me, and, I dare say, to many of you. Our friend who 
spoke so interestingly awhile ago about building good roads through- 
out the State has a work that is truly religious in significance and 
may be done in a genuinely religious spirit; and likewise the speakers 
who have discussed commercial clubs, better schools, the health 
problems, etc. 

If we work along these lines we shall not sacrifice the spirituality 
of the church, nor degrade our religion from its high and supremely 
important task of saving men. But the salvation it will bring to men 
will not be merely a negative thing — keeping them from hell — but 
a positive thing, a salvation unto a life of service and helpfulness. We 
may be very sure that if our religion makes our lives what they 
should be here, -all will be well with us in the world to come. In 
these forms of community service we shall be making a most im- 
portant contribution to the coming of the Kingdom of God, for what 
is the kingdom but organized righteousness? 



116 

We were unable to obtain manuscripts of the omitted ad- 
dresses. 

Persons registered as in attendance: 

Anderson, Miss Annie S., The Kentucky Home School, Louisville, 
Kentucky. 

Arick, Miss Ola Mae, Cleveland, Ohio. Representing American 
Red Cross. 

Averitt, S. D., 304 East Maxwell Street, Lexington, Kentucky. 

Beauchamp, Mrs. Frances E., 449 West Second Street, Lexington, 
Kentucky. Representing Women's Christian Temperance Union. 

Blackburn, Mrs. H. C, Georgetown, Kentucky. 

Booth, Miss Alexina G., 429 Longest Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. 
Representing Woman's Committee, C. N. D. 

Bosley, L. C, Danville, Kentucky. Representing Danville City 
Schools. 

Breckinridge, Elizabeth, 952 Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky. 
Representing Louisville Normal School. 

Bristow, Mrs. L. L. Georgetown, Kentucky. Representing Civic 
League. 

Button, F. C, Lexington, Kentucky. Representing State Depart- 
ment of Education. 

Burr, E. W., Denver, Colorado. Representing U. S. Reclamation 
Service. 

Brown, Owsley, Louisville, Kentucky. Representing Kentucky 
Council of Defense. 

Caldwell, Fred P., Louisville, Kentucky. Representing Kentucky 
Council of Defense. State Historian. 

Chapman, J. Virgil, 455 East Maxwell Street, Lexington, Kentucky. 
Representing State Department of Education. 

Clarke, Miss Mary E., 117 W^oodland Avenue, Lexington, Ken- 
tucky. Representing Civic League. 

Coffman, Mrs. W. H., Georgetown, Kentucky. 

Cohen, Mat S., Frankfort, Kentucky. Representing State Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. 

Colbert, R. J.. 2157 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Representing 
American Red Cross — Department of Home Service — Assistant Div. 
Director. 

Collier, S. R., West Liberty, Kentucky. Representing Kentucky 
Council of Defense. 

Cooper, Mrs. Thomas, Experiment Station. 

Cox, H. S. Covington, Kentucky. Representing Public Schools. 

Cooper, Thomas, Lexington, Kentucky. Representing Agricultural 
College. 

Cottman, George S., Winchester, Kentucky. Representing Red 
Cross. 



117 

Craig. Amelia. C., Danville, Kentucky. Representing Home Service 
A. R. C. 

Dudley, David R., Earlington, Kentucky. 

Dalzelle, Mrs. J. W., Cynthiana, Kentucky. 

Dixon, Archibald, Henderson, Kentucky. 

Dix, Everett, Berea, Kentucky. Representing Red Cross, Berea 
College. 

Donaldson, Helen L., Nicholasville, Kentucky. Representing Pub- 
lic Health. 

Durbin, Daniel, Cynthiana, Kentucky. Representing County 
Council of Defense. 

Edmonds, E. T., 326 Grosvenor Avenue, Lexington, Kentucky. 
• Elam, Mrs. Brenda D., Lexington, Kentucky. Representing Rural 
Sanitation. 

Elam. S. S., Salyersville, Kentucky. Representing Administrative 
School Work. 

Eubank, R. S., Y. M. C. A., Lexington, Kentucky. Representing 
Southern School Journal. 

Faulconer, Mrs. Nannie G., 818 East Main Street, Lexington, 
Kentucky. Representing Superintendent of Schools. 

Fallis, Oscar B., Danville, Kentucky. Representing County 
Schools of Boyle County. 

Franz, J. A., Russell, Kentucky. 

Frost, W. A., Wingo, Kentucky. 

Gantvoort, A. J., Cincinnati College of Music, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Gardner, C. S., Louisville, Kentucky. Representing Southern 
Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Gardner, Miss Lida E., Carlisle, Kentucky. Representing National 
Organization Parent Teachers' Association. 

Garrett, Mrs. Joseph M., Versailles, Kentucky. 

Glass, Myrtle, Georgetown, Kentucky. Representing Sociology 
Class at Georgetown College. 

Gifford, Mrs. Morris, Upper River Road, Louisville, Kentucky. 
Representing Council of National Defense. 

Graham, John L., Owensboro, Kentucky. Representing County 
Superintendent. 

Graham, Mrs. R. H., Puritan Apartments, Louisville, Kentucky. 
Representing Food Administration. 

Gunn, Mrs. Julia R., 723 Central Avenue, Lexington, Kentucky. 
Representing Kentucky W. C. T. U. 

Hafford, Miss Lida, The Cortlandt, Louisville, Kentucky. State 
Supervisor American Red Cross. 

Halley, Mrs. Sam H., Meadowthorpe. Representing Woman's Club. 

Halley, Samuel H., Lexington, Kentucky. Representing Kentucky 
Council of Defense. 



US 

Harrison, B. N., Williamstown, Kentucky. County Superintendent 
Grant County. 

Hines, Edward W., Intersouthern Building, Louisville, Kentucky. 
Representing Kentucky Council of Defense. 

Hopper, W. O., Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. Representing City Schools. 

Huhlein, Charles F., Louisville, Kentucky. Representing Jeffer- 
son County Council of Defense. 

Ireland, J. W., Frankfort, Kentucky. Representing Supertintend- 
ent City Schools. 

James, M. C, 149 Washington Avenue, Lexington, Kentucky. 

Johnson, D., Clinton, Kentucky. 

Karraker, Mrs. Adell, 333 Transylvania Park. Representing Red 
Cross. 

Kercher, Otis, Lexington, Kentucky. Representing Extension Divi- 
sion. 

King, Allilee, Maysville, Kentucky, R. R. 2. 

Lafferty, Mrs. W. T., Lexington, Kentucky. Representing Council 
of Defense. 

Leonard, C. A., Jackson, Kentucky. Representing Breathitt County 
Council of Defense. 

Lock, J. S., Maysville. Kentucky. Representing Mason County 
Health Board. 

Lorimer, V. Lota, 2921 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Repre- 
senting A. R. C, Lake Division. 

Loewenstein, Stilly,- 215 East Walnut Street. Louisville. Kentucky. 
Representing Associated Charities. 

Lumsden, L. L., Washington, D. C. Representing U. S. Public 
Health Service. 

McBirney, E. T., 638 Monmouth Street, Newport. Kentucky. Rep- 
resenting Newport-Cincinnati In. Asso. 

McCormack, Arthur T., Bowling Green, Kentucky. Representing 
State Board of Health and State Medical Association. 

McDermott, Edward J., Louisville, Kentucky. 

Mclnteer, Mrs. B. B., 447 Columbia Avenue, Lexington, Kentucky. 
Representing Junior High School. 

Macmahon, Arthur W., Washington, D. >C. Representing Council 
of National Defense. 

McMullen, John, Lexington, Kentucky. Representing U. S. Public 
Health Service. 

McVey. Mrs. F. L., University of Kentucky. Representing Central 
Kentucky Woman's Club. 

McVey, Frank L., University of Kentucky. Representing Univer- 
sity of Kentucky. 

Milward, Mrs. John, Hampton Court, Lexington, Kentucky. Rep- 
resenting Red Cross Nurses' Association. 

Morrow, Edwin P., Somerset, Kentucky. 



119 

Moss, Miss Eva Bryan, Lexington, Kentucky. 

Moxley, Paulina, Shelbyville, Kentucky. 

Norton, Mrs. Charles F., 439 North Broadway, Lexington, Ken- 
tucky. Representing Transylvania College. 

Pearson, Mrs. T. B. ; Nicholasville, Kentucky. Representing Horns 
Service Section, Red Cross. 

Porter, Miss, Lexington, Kentucky. 

O'Daniel, Jay, Louisville, Kentucky. Representing B. F. Johnson 
Pub. Co. 

Porter, Mrs. J. W., 461 West Second Street. 

Ramey, J. W., Russell, Kentucky. Representing Greenup County. 

Reynolds, Mrs. H. G., Paducah, Kentucky. Representing Mc- 
Cracken County, Woman's Committee C. N. D. 

Roberts, W. H., West Main Street, Danville, Kentucky. Repre- 
senting Boyle County Council of Defense. 

Rogers, James Edward, 1 Madison Avenue, New York City. Rep- 
resenting W. C. C. S. 

Rodes, Miss Amanda, Danville, Kentucky. Representing Woman's 
Com. C. N. D., Boyle Co. 

Rue, Mrs. L. E., Danville, Kentucky. 

Shedd, O. M.. 348 Linden Walk, Lexington, Kentucky. Represent- 
ing Agricultural Experiment Station. 

Slade, D. D., 340 Grosvenor Avenue. Representing Extension De- 
partment. 

Stucker, L. D., Frankfort, Kentucky. County Superintendent, 
Franklin County. 

Smithers, R. A., Wisemantown, Kentucky. 

South, L. H., Bowling Green- Kentucky. Representing State Board 
of Health. 

Stephens, George E., Louisville, Kentucky. Representing U. S. 
Boys' Working Reserve. 

Stiles, Lela Mae, Frankfort, Kentucky. Representing Kentucky 
Illiteracy Commission. 

Stoll, Richard C, Lexington, Kentucky. Chairman Committee Pub- 
lic Safety, Kentucky Council of Defense — State Inspector American 
Protective League. 

Street, Mr. and Mrs. Elwood, Louisville, Kentucky. Representing 
Welfare League. 

Sullivan, L. C, Georgetown, Kentucky. Representing Georgetown 
College. 

Taylor, Mrs. George W., Carlisle, Kentucky. County Superintend- 
ent. 

Taylor, Edmund Watson, Frankfort, Kentucky. 

Thompson, Mrs. W. H., 135 East Main Street, Lexington, Ken- 
tucky. Representing Red Cross. 



120 

Thruston, R. C. Ballard, Louisville. Kentucky. Representing Amer- 
ican Red Cross, Lake Division. 

Tuggie, Frances G., Maysville, Kentucky. 

Weaver, Mrs. Charles P., 431 Kensington Court, Louisville, Ken- 
tucky. Representing Kentucky Children's Receiving Home. 

Watts, Shelby D., 2929 Euclid Avenue, Cincinnati. Ohio. Repre- 
senting Home Service, Red Cross, Lake Division. 

Wendt, Mrs. Edwin C, Seventh and Monmouth Streets, Newport, 
Kentucky. Representing Campbell County Unit, Woman's Committee, 
C. N. D. 

Wickenden, Homer E., 2157 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Rep- 
resenting American Red Cross, Lake Division. 

Williams, Miss Charl, Memphis, Tennessee. Superintendent Shelby 
County Schools. 

Wilson, Dr. B. C, Bowling Green. Kentucky. Representing Bureau 
Tuberculosis, State Board of Health. 

Withers, Miss Rebel, Lexington, Kentucky. Representing Y. W. 
C. A. 

Wolcott, Mrs. Helen B., 338 Grosvenor Avenue, Lexington, Ken- 
tucky. Representing Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs and 
Women's Com., C. N. D. 

Wood, H. H., Wildie, Kentucky. 

Woods, Robert E., 1266 Everett Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. 

Wright, Ruth, 338 Grosvenor Avenue, Lexington, Kentucky. 

Yancey. Miss Jessie O., Maysville, Kentucky, Representing 
Illiteracy Commission. 

Yount, R. W., Morehead, Kentucky. Representing Rowan County. 

Zembrod, Mrs. Alfred C, Lexington, Kentucky. 

Zerfoss, L. F., 412 Linden Walk, Lexington, Kentucky. 



INDEX. 



Page 

American Red Cross— Address by Miss Lorimer 71 

Attendance— Persons Registered 116 

Baker, Prof. George — Address by 46 

Black, Governor James D. — Presiding 51 

Breckinridge, Miss Elizabeth — Address by 109 

Bruce, Mrs. Helm — Address by 90 

Burr, E. W— Address by 95 

Care of Defectives — Address by Dr. Dixon 36 

Chapman, Prof. J. Virgil — Address by 28 

Church as Factor in Community Life — Address by Dr. Gardner 114 

Citizenship, Practice of — Address by Dr. Jackson 58 

Cohen, Mat S. — Presiding , 71 

Commercial Organizations — Address by Chas. F. Huhlein 106 

Community Life, Church as Factor in 114 

Community Organization — 

Address by Arthur W. Macmahon 16 

Address by James E. Rogers 51 

School as Element of 109 

Community Singing — Address by Dr. A. J. Gantvoort (not fur- 
nished for publication) 7 

Led by Professor Lampert. 5 

Defectives^ Care of — Address by Dr. Dixon 36 

Dixon, Dr. Archibald — Address by 36 

Educational Bills in Congress — Address by Prof. Baker 46 

Elimination of Illiteracy — Address by Prof. Green 65 

Feeble-minded, Care of — Address by Dr. Dixon 36 

Food Administration — Address by Fred M. Sackett (not furnished 

for publication) 6 

Gantvoort, A. J. — Address by (not furnished for publication) 7 

Gardner, Prof. Charles S. — Address by 114 

Gilbert, Prof. V. O.— Presiding 20 

Good Roads — Address by Rodman Wiley 101- 

Green, Prof. R. P. — Address by 65 

Health Problem of Kentucky — Address by Dr. McCormack 75" 

Health Program of Red Cross — Address by Miss Lorimer 71 

Hines, Edward W. — Presiding 8 

Statement by 8 

Huhlein, Chas. P.— Address by 106 



122 

Page 

Illiteracy — Address by Prof. R. P. Green. 65 

Insane, Care of — Address by Dr. Dixon 36 

Jackson, Dr. Henry E. — Address by 58 

Kentucky Health Problem — Address by Dr. McCormack 75 

Lampert, Professor — Leader of Community Singing 5 

Lorimer. Miss V. Lota — Address by 71 

Lumsden, Dr. L. L. — Address by (not furnished for publication).... 7 

Macmahon, Arthur W. — Address by .' 16 

McCormack, Dr. Arthur T — Address by 75 

McVey, Frank L. — Address by 9 

Presiding 95 

Mead, Professor Elwood — Place on program taken by E. W. Burr.. 5, 95 
Morrow, Edwin P. — Address by (not furnished for publication).... 6 

National Problems — Address by Arthur W. Macmahon 16 

Practice of Citizenship— Address by Dr. Jackson 58 

Problems Before Conference — Address by Dr. McVey 9 

Program 5 

Public Health Program of Red Cross — Address by Miss Lorimer.. 71 

Purpose of Conference — Statement of 5, 8 

Red Cross — Address by Miss Lorimer 71 

Registration of Persons in Attendance 116 

Roads— Address by Rodman Wiley 101 

Rogers, James E. — Address by 51 

Rural Schools — Address by Miss Williams 20" 

Address by Prof. Chapman 28 

Sackett, Fred M. — Address by (not furnished for publication) 6 

School as Element of Community Organization — Address by Miss 

Breckinridge 109 

Rural School — Address by Miss Williams 20 

Rural School — Address by Prof. Chapman 28 

Soldier on Land — Address by E. W. Burr 95 

Some Problems Before the Conference — Address by Dr. McVey.... 9 
Stewart, Mrs. Cora Wilson — Place on program taken by Edwin P. 

Morrow 6 

Wiley, Rodman — Address by 101 

Williams, Miss Charl O — Address by 20 

Woman's Committee — Address by Mrs. Bruce 90 



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